Nigerian stocks rise N288bn as market opens week with mixed gains
The Nigerian stock market opened the week on a bullish note, with investors gaining N288 billion as market capitalisation rose 0.18 % to N158.614 trillion from N158.326 trillion at the open. The All‑Share Index rose 446.85 points, a 0.18 % gain, to close at 245,283.68, pushing the year‑to‑date return to 57.91 %. Despite the overall advance, market breadth was negative: 39 stocks fell while only 25 rose. Top gainers were Eterna Plc and Caverton Offshore Support Group, each up 10 % to N36.30 and N5.50 respectively; Omatek Ventures gained 9.88 % to N1.78, AVA Capital rose 9.70 % to N9.05 and Vitafoam Nigeria added 7.90 % to close at N194.00. On the losers’ side, Ecobank Transnational led with a 9.95 % drop to N80.10, followed by Cadbury Nigeria (‑9.92 % to N58.10), Thomas Wyatt Nigeria (‑9.82 % to N3.95), WAPIC Insurance (‑9.80 % to N2.30) and Critical Minerals Financing Corp (‑9.79 % to N3.50). Trading activity slowed, with 923.01 million shares worth N37.85 billion changing hands in 72,544 deals – a 2.12 % drop in volume versus the prior session. Access Holdings led volume at 166.64 million shares (18.05 % of total), while Aradel Holdings topped value with N4.59 billion traded (12.12 % of turnover).
For investors, the rise in market capitalisation and the strong YTD return signal underlying confidence in the Nigerian equity market, even as most stocks declined. The divergent performance suggests money is rotating into a few outperforming names while many others face pressure, which could affect portfolio diversification and risk exposure. Understanding which sectors are attracting buying interest helps traders decide where to allocate fresh capital or whether to adopt a more defensive stance.
Monitor sector‑level movements, consider whether to increase exposure to the leading gainers or hedge against the broad‑based sell‑off, and keep an eye on macro‑economic cues such as oil prices and monetary policy that could sway market breadth. With the market up but breadth negative, will you adjust your holdings to capture the few winners or stay defensive until broader participation returns?