Capital Market
NGX Trading Volume Surges 162% as Investors Exchange 1.4 Billion Shares
Trading activity on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) accelerated sharply on Thursday as investors exchanged nearly 1.4 billion shares, driving market volume up 162 percent from the previous session despite only a modest advance in the benchmark index.
A total of 1.399 billion shares worth N27.14 billion changed hands during the session, compared with 534.45 million shares valued at N22.28 billion traded on Wednesday.
The substantial increase in volume points to renewed investor activity, even as the number of completed deals edged slightly lower.
Trading Activity Comparison
| Indicator | September 9 | September 10 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Volume | 534.45 million shares | 1.399 billion shares | +161.8% |
| Trading Value | N22.28 billion | N27.14 billion | +21.8% |
| Deals | 46,943 | 46,218 | -1.5% |
The standout contributor to the surge in activity was FTG Insurance Plc, where investors traded more than 1.03 billion shares valued at N1.49 billion, making it the most actively traded stock by a wide margin.
Most Actively Traded Stocks
| Company | Volume | Value |
|---|---|---|
| FTG Insurance Plc | 1.031 billion | N1.49 billion |
| MBENEFIT | 59.55 million | N167.81 million |
| Access Holdings Plc | 28.57 million | N791.71 million |
| GTCO Plc | 25.74 million | N3.33 billion |
| Zenith Bank Plc | 14.32 million | N1.78 billion |
While FTG Insurance dominated trading volume, GTCO recorded the highest transaction value after investors exchanged N3.33 billion worth of shares, followed by Zenith Bank with N1.78 billion.
This indicates that institutional trading remained concentrated in large-cap banking stocks even as exceptional activity in FTG Insurance drove overall market volume.
The increase in trading activity coincided with a modest improvement in the broader market.
The NGX All-Share Index (ASI) rose 0.06 percent from 242,223.10 to 242,378.13 points, while equity market capitalisation increased by approximately N100.51 billion to N157.150 trillion, ending the market’s two-day losing streak.
Although the benchmark index recorded only a marginal gain, Thursday’s trading highlighted a significant rise in investor participation.
The sharp jump in volume, driven largely by FTG Insurance, combined with stronger transaction value, suggests renewed market activity even as investors remained selective in positioning across equities.