The Nigerian stock market extended its positive performance into the mid-week trading session, delivering significant gains for investors as key indices climbed higher.
Market Indices Reflect Sustained Bullish Sentiment
On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) maintained its upward trajectory. The benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) appreciated by 0.26%, closing at 149,842.82 points compared to the previous day's finish of 149,459.11 points.
This growth translated into a substantial increase in market valuation. Investors' wealth grew by N244.62 billion, pushing the total market capitalisation to N95.53 trillion. The year-to-date return consequently advanced to 45.58%, underscoring the market's robust performance in 2025.
Sectoral Performance and Key Drivers
The rally was broad-based, with renewed buying interest observed across several pivotal sectors. The banking, consumer goods, and industrial indexes all closed in positive territory, contributing to the overall market gain.
Notable stocks that fueled the bullish run included FirstHoldCo, Mecure, and CAP. These companies witnessed strong demand, with FirstHoldCo, Mecure, and Alex all trading above their fifty-two-week highs. CAP also reached its own fifty-two-week high during the session, indicating strong investor confidence.
Other top performers that contributed to the day's gains were Ikeja Hotel, Okomu Oil, Access Corporation, Vitafoam, NAHCO, GTCO, and UBA, among twenty-seven others.
Top Gainers and Losers
The market activity created clear winners and losers among listed equities.
Top Gainers for the day included:
- FirstHoldCo: Rose by 10.00%, gaining N3.60 to close at N39.60 per share.
- Lasaco Assurance: Appreciated by 10.00%, adding N0.25 to end at N2.75.
- VeritasKap Assurance: Also gained 10.00%, rising by N0.16 to N1.76.
- Prestige Assurance: Increased by 10.00%, closing at N1.65 after a N0.15 gain.
- Mecure Industries: Advanced by 9.92%, climbing N4.55 to settle at N50.40.
On the flip side, LivingTrust Mortgage Bank led the decliners, falling by 10.00% to close at N3.15 per share, which also placed it below its fifty-two-week low. Other notable losers were Intenegins, McNichols, Omatek, and Chams.
Trading Volume and Value
Market activity was vigorous, reflecting the high investor participation. The total volume of shares traded stood at 5.93 billion units, valued at N216.19 billion, and executed across 25,205 deals.
Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) dominated the volume chart, trading 5.25 billion shares worth N168.66 billion. FirstHoldCo followed with 108 million shares valued at N4.21 billion, while Sterling Financial Holdings, FCMB, and Access Corporation also recorded significant trade volumes.
The sustained positive trend follows a report highlighting a strong start to the year for Nigeria's banking sector. Approximately ten major banks reportedly generated around N1.83 trillion in profit after tax in the early part of 2025, with Zenith Bank, Access Bank, UBA, and GTCO among the top performers. This underlying corporate strength continues to bolster investor sentiment in the equities market.
