Nigerian Exchange Adds N74bn, Erases Three-Day Losses

Following three consecutive days of bearish trading, the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) rebounded on Thursday to register a gain of N74 billion, effectively erasing the previous losses.

The turnaround in market sentiment was a welcome relief for investors who had witnessed a downturn in the equity market.

The All-Share Index saw a notable climb of 0.13 percent to 104,387.47 points while market capitalization surged to N59.02 trillion.

This uptick in market performance propelled the bourse’s year-to-date return to 39.6 percent and highlighted the resilience of Nigeria’s capital market amidst challenging economic conditions.

Market activity saw a significant surge, with trading volume rising by 12.78 percent to 336.82 billion units and the value of transactions appreciating by 35.74 percent to N9.29 billion.

Total deals also saw an uptick, increasing by 6.57 percent to 8,790.

Despite recording more losers than gainers, certain stocks experienced notable gains, with companies like Juli Plc, Transcorp, International Energy Insurance, ETranzact, and Guinea Insurance witnessing substantial increases in their share prices.

Conversely, top decliners included DeapCap, Tourist, Computer Warehouse Group, Caverton, and Omatek.

The banking, insurance, and industrial goods sectors led the market gains, with each posting positive performances.

However, the consumer goods sector experienced a slight decline, while the oil and gas sector remained relatively flat.

Investors showed renewed confidence in the market, with United Bank for Africa emerging as the most traded security by volume, while Nestle led in traded value.

The market’s resurgence comes amidst notable developments, including PZ Cussons’ failed bid to delist from the Nigerian Exchange, impacting minority investors and prompting analysts to assess its potential implications on the company’s future strategies and shareholder value.