Lagos, Nigeria — The Nigerian All-Share Index (ASI) ended the week of September 26 on a positive note, rising by 287.68 points to close at 142,133.03. This modest 0.20% gain, driven by renewed interest in select large-cap stocks, pushed the market’s month-to-date gain to 1.31%.
The positive momentum led to an increase in total market capitalization, which grew to ₦89.96 trillion from ₦89.74 trillion the previous week. Trading activity also picked up slightly, with the total volume of shares traded rising from 2.7 billion to 2.9 billion.
Sectoral Performance and Key Movers
The market saw a rebound toward the end of the week, with the ASI recovering from early dips on Monday and Tuesday to gain strong momentum on Thursday and Friday. Year-to-date, the ASI is now up an impressive 38.09%.
The gains were concentrated in key sectors and blue-chip stocks:
- Banking Sector Surges: The NGX Banking Index climbed 1.19%, propelled by significant rallies in ZENITH BANK (up 9.14%) and STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC (up 9.29%).
- Industrial Goods Lead: The NGX Industrial Goods Index gained 1.33%, supported by a 4.00% rise in LAFARGE and a 1.72% increase in DANGOTE CEMENT.
- Consumer Goods Advance: The NGX Consumer Goods Index advanced 1.15%, led by INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC, which surged over 10%.
Conversely, the market saw declines in defensive sectors, with the NGX Oil & Gas Index falling 1.62% and the NGX Insurance Index dropping 0.91%.
Top Gainers and Corporate Disclosures
THOMAS WYATT NIG. PLC led the gainers for the week, soaring 22.68% to close at ₦3.30, followed by SECURE ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY PLC with a 21.33% gain. On the losing end, WEMA BANK PLC shed 12.41%, closing at ₦18.00, while FIDELITY PLC dropped 11.08%.
The week also featured important corporate actions:
- Stanbic IBTC released its half-year report and declared an interim dividend of ₦2.50.
- GTCO also published its half-year financial results for 2025.
- First HoldCo disclosed the acquisition of additional shares by its Chairman, Femi Otedola, signaling confidence in the institution.
Analysts note that while the market breadth showed more decliners (51) than gainers (32), the overall index growth suggests that large-cap movements were decisive. Market focus remains on the banking sector and key large-cap stocks, which are expected to continue dictating whether the ASI tests the next resistance levels of 143,000 and 144,000.
