The Nigerian equities market reversed two consecutive sessions of losses on Tuesday, adding N719 billion to total market capitalisation as renewed buying interest returned to major stocks.
The NGX All-Share Index rose by 1,121.33 points, or 0.46%, to close at 242,870.44 points. Market capitalisation increased to N155.85 trillion from N155.13 trillion the previous day.
Key Drivers of the Rebound
FirstHoldCo led the charge, surging 9.98% to N72.15 and dominating trading activity with over 326.92 million units worth N22.33 billion. MTN Nigeria also provided strong support, gaining 1.23% to N820.00, helping lift the broader index.
Other notable gainers included Learn Africa (+10.00%), Thomas Wyatt Nigeria (+9.80%), R.T. Briscoe (+8.68%), and Transcorp Hotels (+8.37%).
On the losing side, International Energy Insurance dropped 9.86%, while Legend Internet, Fortis Global Insurance, FTN Cocoa Processors, and International Breweries also closed lower.
Sector and Trading Highlights
The Banking index recorded the strongest sectoral performance with a 2.28% gain, followed by Insurance at 0.48%. Consumer Goods declined by 0.97% and Oil & Gas eased by 0.10%.
Trading volume rose by 21.25% to 634.78 million shares, while the value of transactions surged 139.44% to N53.34 billion. However, the number of deals fell by 29.11% to 42,494, indicating that institutional investors drove much of the day’s activity.
The year-to-date return improved to 56.07%, maintaining Nigeria’s position among the best-performing equity markets globally this year.
The swift recovery after Monday’s sell-off demonstrates underlying resilience in the market, with investors selectively repositioning into fundamentally strong large-cap names. Analysts expect continued volatility in the short term as the market balances profit-taking with selective buying opportunities.
