Sterling Financial Leads Trading Volume as Banking Stocks Anchor Market Liquidity

Sterling Financial Holdings Plc emerged as the most actively traded stock on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Monday, reinforcing the banking sector’s role as the market’s primary source of liquidity despite a moderation in overall trading activity.

Investors traded 78.05 million Sterling Financial shares valued at N588.87 million, making the stock the session’s volume leader.

Banking stocks also maintained a strong presence among the day’s most actively traded equities, with Fidelity Bank Plc and Access Holdings Plc joining Sterling on the activity chart.

Most Actively Traded Stocks

While Sterling Financial Holdings led by trading volume, Access Holdings Plc recorded the highest transaction value among the day’s most actively traded stocks at N613.81 million, followed by Sterling Financial Holdings and Fidelity Bank Plc, highlighting sustained investor interest in large-cap banking equities.

The concentration of banking stocks among the most active counters underscores the sector’s continued importance to market liquidity.

Three of the five most actively traded equities during the session were banks, reaffirming the financial sector’s dominant role in attracting investor participation.

The broader market also closed higher.

The NGX All-Share Index (ASI) advanced 0.10 percent to 243,299.24 points, while equity market capitalisation increased by approximately N160.26 billion to N157.747 trillion, extending the market’s recovery from the previous trading session.

Trading activity, however, was more subdued.

Investors exchanged 428.97 million shares worth N20.52 billion in 54,592 deals, compared with 552.87 million shares valued at N25.78 billion at the close of the previous session. Although turnover declined, the number of executed deals increased, indicating continued market participation.

Monday’s trading once again demonstrated the banking sector’s central role in the Nigerian equity market. Even as overall turnover softened, Sterling Financial Holdings, Access Holdings and Fidelity Bank remained at the forefront of trading activity, reinforcing the sector’s position as the Exchange’s principal driver of liquidity.