The Nigerian stock market extended its bullish run on Thursday, adding N143bn to investors’ wealth despite a slowdown in trading activity. The uptick was driven largely by strong price appreciation in Guinness Nigeria Plc, Eunisell Interlinked Plc, and Regency Alliance Insurance Plc.
Figures from the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) show that the market capitalisation of listed equities rose to N90.03tn, up from N89.89tn in the previous session. Similarly, the All-Share Index advanced 0.16 per cent to close at 142,263.12 points.
Guinness led the gainers’ chart with a 9.79 per cent jump, closing at N46.65 per share. It was followed by Eunisell Interlinked, which appreciated by 9.60 per cent to N5.82, and Regency Alliance Insurance, which climbed 9.38 per cent to N0.70. Other strong performers included Sovereign Trust Insurance, rising 9.09 per cent to N0.48, and Consolidated Hallmark Holdings, which gained 8.82 per cent to N1.85.
On the flip side, Royal Exchange topped the losers’ table, shedding 9.86 per cent to close at N0.64 per share. Associated Bus Company declined by 9.76 per cent to N0.37, while Daar Communications slipped 8.47 per cent to N0.54. Deap Capital Management and African Alliance Insurance also ended in the red with losses of 8.33 per cent and 8.00 per cent, respectively.
However, market activity slowed down as both volume and value of trades dipped. A total of 377.75m shares worth N7.46bn exchanged hands, representing a 44.07 per cent decline in volume and a 23.47 per cent drop in value compared with Tuesday’s session.
Financial stocks remained the most actively traded, with Access Holdings leading the pack. The lender recorded 52.27m shares valued at N1.27bn. Zenith Bank followed closely, exchanging 42.22m shares worth N1.62bn, while Fidelity Bank, FBN Holdings, and United Bank for Africa also featured prominently in the day’s activity chart.