…The NASD market closed today’s session on a bearish note, relinquishing part of the gains recorded earlier in the week
By theG&BJournal
FRI MAR 06 2026-theGBJournal| Nigeria’s equities market closed on a positive note on Thursday as the benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) of the Nigerian Exchange Limited advanced by 0.2% to 196,807.15 points, reflecting renewed investor interest in select large and mid-cap stocks.
Gains were seen in NESTLE (+4.8%), MTNN (+0.6%), STANBIC (+5.6%) and CUSTODIAN (+9.7%) Consequently, the Month-to-Date and Year-to-Date returns settled higher at +2.1% and +26.5%, respectively.
The total volume traded declined by 21.3% to 634.01 million units, valued at N29.11 billion, and exchanged in 66,286 deals.
JAIZBANK was the most traded stock by volume at 137.30 million units, while GTCO was the most traded stock by value at NGN5.41 billion.
Sectoral performance was mixed as the Banking (+0.5%) and Consumer Goods (+0.1%) indices advanced while the Insurance (-1.6%) and Oil & Gas (-0.2%) indices declined. The Industrial Goods index closed flat.
As measured by market breadth, market sentiment was negative (0.8x), as 37 tickers lost relative to 31 gainers. TRIPPLEG (-9.9%) and MULTIVERSE (-9.9%) led the laggards, while NPFMCRFBK (+10.0%) and ETERNA (+10.0%) posted the most significant gains of the day.
In contrast, the NASD market closed today’s session on a bearish note, relinquishing part of the gains recorded earlier in the week, as the NASD Security Index (NSI) declined by 1.29% to settle at 4,201.57 points. Consequently, market capitalisation also fell by the same margin to close at N2.51 trillion.
Trading activity strengthened significantly during the session, with transaction volume rising by 43.43%, while the total value of trades surged by 560.49%, indicating improved market participation despite the negative price performance.
On the price movement chart, SDNEWREST emerged as the top gainer, advancing by 9.10%. Conversely, SDFOODCPT recorded the steepest decline of the session, shedding 10.78% to close as the day’s worst performer.
At The official FX market, the naira appreciated by 0.2% to N1,388.00/US$.
The modest gain came amid improved sentiment in the foreign exchange market, easing some pressure on domestic financial markets and boosting investor confidence.
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