Nigerian Stock Market Rebounds with 0.85% Gain as NGXASI Climbs to 200,705.88 Points
The Nigerian equities market staged a strong recovery on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, reversing losses from the previous two trading sessions. The benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) advanced by 0.85% to settle at 200,705.88 points, up from 199,014.02 points recorded on Monday. This positive movement reflects renewed investor confidence and selective buying across major stocks.
Market Capitalisation and Year-to-Date Performance Improve
Total market capitalisation also saw a significant increase, rising to N128.84 trillion from N127.7 trillion. The improved market sentiment lifted the year-to-date return to 28.98%, up from 27.89% in the previous session. Market breadth closed positive, with 37 gainers outpacing 23 decliners, indicating broad-based strength across the exchange.
Blue-Chip Stocks Drive the Rally
The rally was primarily driven by strong gains in key blue-chip stocks. Airtel Africa, GTCO, Presco, and other major players led the charge, with Airtel Africa, Consolidated Hallmark, John Holt, and Legend Internet topping the gainers' chart. Notably, Airtel Africa, John Holt, Prepainted, and FTG Insurance traded above their 52-week highs at N2,497.00, N14.30, N28.20, and N1.50 respectively.
Top Gainers and Losers
Among the top performers, John Holt, Airtel Africa, Consolidated Hallmark, and Legend Internet each rose by 10.00%. On the downside, NPF Microfinance Bank led the losers with a 6.29% decline, followed by Royalex, which fell by 5.32%. Other notable decliners included CWG, Nigerian Breweries, and Veritaskap.
Trading Volume and Value Surge
Market participation strengthened considerably, with volume rising to 1.90 billion shares across 89,949 deals, compared to 848 million shares in the previous session. Access Holdings recorded the highest trading volume with 266.79 million units, accounting for 20.66% of total volume traded. In value terms, GTCO led with N19.39 billion worth of shares traded, representing 29.68% of total market value.
Key Contributors to Market Activity
GTCO and Wema Bank accounted for 14.28% and 14.13% of total traded volume respectively, while MTN Nigeria and Access Holdings followed GTCO in traded value. UBA recorded 119 million shares traded, and Zenith Bank posted 42.7 million shares, reflecting sustained investor interest across the banking sector.
Top Five Gainers and Losers
Top 5 Gainers:
- John Holt: up 10.00% to N14.30
- Airtel Africa: up 10.00% to N2,497.00
- Consolidated Hallmark: up 10.00% to N4.95
- Legend Internet: up 10.00% to N6.60
- Zichis Agro Allied: up 9.97% to N10.35
Top 5 Losers:
- NPF Microfinance Bank: down 6.29% to N6.56
- Royalex: down 5.32% to N1.78
- CWG: down 4.82% to N20.75
- Nigerian Breweries: down 4.29% to N70.00
- Veritaskap: down 4.21% to N2.05
The rebound in the Nigerian stock market highlights the resilience of investor sentiment, driven by strong performances in telecommunications, banking, and other key sectors. As market conditions continue to evolve, analysts will be closely monitoring trends to gauge future movements.
