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ASI jumps 1.65% to 176,809.42 points, YTD return hits 13.62%
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66 gainers outpace 22 losers as DEAPCAP, ETRANZACT rally 10%
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₦50.43bn traded despite sharp drop in transaction volume
Nigeria’s equities market extended its bullish momentum on Tuesday, with sustained buying interest in large- and mid-cap stocks driving the All-Share Index (ASI) to a fresh high of 176,809.42 points.
The benchmark index rose by 1.65 percent, up from 173,946.22 points recorded in the previous session, pushing the year-to-date return to 13.62 percent, firmly in double-digit territory.
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Investor sentiment remained decisively positive, as market breadth closed strong with 66 gainers against 22 decliners, reflecting broad-based accumulation across key sectors of the Exchange.
Several equities hit their daily price ceiling, with DEAPCAP and ETRANZACT posting the maximum 10 percent gains. They were closely followed by VITAFOAM, IMG, and WAPCO, which also recorded near-maximum advances.
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Blue-chip stocks added significant weight to the rally. BUA Cement gained 4.92 percent, Dangote Sugar rose 4.02 percent, while UBA climbed 2.79 percent. Tier-1 banking stocks also strengthened, with Zenith Bank up 2.42 percent and FirstHoldCo appreciating by 1.91 percent.
On the downside, ABBEYBDS led the laggards as part of the 22 stocks that ended the session in negative territory.
Trading Value Remains Strong
Although total share volume declined sharply by 68.08 percent compared to the previous session, market liquidity remained solid, with investors exchanging shares worth ₦50.43 billion across 58,965 deals.
DEAPCAP topped the volume chart with 283.12 million units traded, accounting for over 21 percent of total transactions. In value terms, MTN Nigeria (MTNN) emerged as the most traded stock at ₦6.80 billion.
The banking sector maintained strong liquidity flows, with GTCO, Zenith Bank, and AccessCorp ranking among the most actively traded stocks by value.
Market analysts attribute the sustained rally to strategic portfolio repositioning ahead of expected corporate earnings releases and dividend announcements as the first quarter of 2026 unfolds.
The continued inflow into fundamentally strong stocks suggests investors remain optimistic about earnings resilience and dividend prospects despite macroeconomic headwinds.
