The Nigerian stock market experienced a sharp decline on Wednesday, June 25, 2026, with the All-Share Index falling by 2.35% as investors engaged in heavy profit-taking across key sectors. The market capitalisation dropped by N3.637 trillion, closing at N150.847 trillion, down from N154.484 trillion at the previous session.
Major Stocks Lead the Decline
The downturn was driven by significant losses in bellwether stocks, particularly in the industrial goods sector. BUA Cement, Dangote Cement, and Geregu Power each recorded a 10.00% decline, closing at N340.20, N963.00, and N917.40, respectively. These losses contributed to the NGX Industrial Goods Index falling by 8.31%, the steepest decline among all sectors.
Other major losers included Custodian Investment, which dropped by 9.97% to N73.15, and Academy Press, which fell by 9.88% to N28.12. The overall market sentiment was bearish, with 21 stocks closing in the red against 10 gainers.
Sector-Wide Profit-Taking
Profit-taking pressure extended across all major sectors. The Banking Index declined by 0.71%, while the Insurance Index fell by 0.97%. The Consumer Goods Index shed 0.29%, and the Oil & Gas Index weakened by 0.11%. Trading activity also weakened, with 488.1 million shares worth N20.9 billion exchanged in 46,239 deals, compared to 564.9 million shares valued at N39.4 billion traded in 49,230 deals on Tuesday. This represented declines of 13.60% in volume, 46.95% in value, and 6.08% in the number of deals.
Gainers and Most Active Stocks
Despite the overall decline, a few stocks posted gains. SAHCO led the gainers, rising by 9.92% to close at N171.20. International Energy Insurance gained 9.66% to N6.70, Tantalizers increased by 6.98% to N4.60, Omatek added 5.70% to N2.04, and AIICO Insurance advanced by 5.19% to N4.26.
In terms of trading activity, First Holdco was the most active stock, with 57.4 million shares valued at N3.5 billion exchanged. Chams traded 42.3 million shares worth N166.9 million, Access Holdings recorded 36.1 million shares valued at N831.1 million, Linkage Assurance saw 32.0 million shares worth N49.4 million, and Sterling Financial Holdings Company traded 29.4 million shares valued at N224.8 million.
Market Outlook
The Nigerian stock market has been under pressure in recent weeks as investors adjust their portfolios amid economic uncertainties. The decline in market capitalisation to N150.8 trillion highlights the impact of sustained profit-taking, particularly in high-cap stocks like BUA Cement and Dangote Cement. Analysts suggest that the market may continue to experience volatility as investors await clearer signals on economic policies and corporate earnings.
This report is based on data from the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and compiled by Dave Ibemere, Senior Business Editor at Legit.ng. Ibemere, a financial journalist with over a decade of experience, holds a Master's degree from the University of Lagos and is a member of the African Academy for Open-Source Investigation (AAOSI) and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.
