The Nigerian equities market wrapped up the first trading week of December 2025 on a high note, delivering significant gains for investors. The market's positive performance extended earlier advances, culminating in a substantial increase in overall market value.
Market Indices Show Robust Growth
The All-Share Index (ASI), a key benchmark, appreciated by 1.08% to close at 147,040.07 points. This marked a rise from the 145,476.15 points recorded at the close of trading on the previous Thursday. The bullish sentiment was widespread, with 36 gainers outpacing 16 decliners.
This upward movement translated into a massive wealth creation for investors. Total market capitalisation surged by N996.84 billion, reaching N93.72 trillion. Consequently, the year-to-date (YTD) return improved to an impressive 42.86%.
Trading Activity and Sector Leaders
Despite the gains in value, the volume of trades experienced a notable decline. The total volume traded fell by 81.29% to 361.60 million units. These trades were valued at N14.84 billion and executed across 21,051 deals.
Zenith Bank Plc emerged as the most influential stock during the period. It led in both volume and value traded, accounting for 16.44% of the total daily volume and 24.56% of the total turnover value. Access Holdings and Fidelity Bank followed as significant contributors to the trading volume.
In terms of value, Zenith Bank was closely trailed by telecommunications giant MTN Nigeria and energy company Aradel Holdings in the ranking of top traded stocks by value.
Top Performers and Notable Decliners
The week's trading produced clear winners. UACN led the pack of top price gainers, recording a full 10.00% increase to close at N96.80 per share. It was followed by Transcorp Hotels, which gained 9.71%, and Royal Exchange, which rose by 8.89%.
Other notable advancers included Ikeja Hotel and the Lotus Halal Fund, which posted gains of 8.74% and 8.53% respectively.
On the flip side, Union Dicon suffered the maximum price decline of 10.00%. ABC Transport and Mansard Insurance also featured among the top decliners for the week, with losses of 9.88% and 7.19% respectively.
The market's activity was largely driven by interest in the financial services sector, which continues to be a cornerstone of trading on the Nigerian Exchange. This positive start to December builds on the market's strong performance throughout the year, offering optimism to investors as 2025 draws to a close.
