The Nigerian Exchange recorded turnover of 662.35 million shares on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, as investors kept up strong activity in banking, insurance and other financial services stocks. Total equity deals stood at 63,167.
Buying interest lifted market capitalisation to N158.7 trillion from N158.4 trillion, a single-day gain of roughly N315.9 billion. The All-Share Index advanced to 244,791.79 points from 244,304.51 the previous day, a rise of 0.20 per cent. Market capitalisation increased 0.19 per cent. Trading volume rose 27.22 per cent from 520.65 million shares, while the number of deals fell 12.24 per cent from 71,977 on Tuesday.
Top Gainers and Losers
The session’s leading advancers were Sovereign Trust Insurance, up 9.69 per cent to N2.15; Champion Breweries, up 9.50 per cent to N10.95; Livestock Feeds, up 9.42 per cent to N7.55; Learn Africa, up 9.09 per cent to N8.40; and Mutual Benefits Assurance, up 8.93 per cent to N3.05. Prestige Assurance also gained 9.56 per cent.
On the downside, Industrial and Medical Gases fell 9.93 per cent to N27.65, John Holt declined 9.88 per cent to N7.30, LivingTrust Mortgage Bank dropped 9.84 per cent to N2.84, Fidson Healthcare lost 9.19 per cent to N72.65 and Royal Exchange fell 9 per cent to N0.91. Ellah Lakes also shed 8.79 per cent.
Financial Services Dominate Volume
Financial services stocks accounted for 422 million shares traded across 20,251 deals, making the sector the most active by volume.
Within banking, Sterling Financial Holdings was the most heavily traded counter with 142.04 million shares exchanged. Fidelity Bank recorded 43.33 million shares, GTCO 40.55 million, Zenith Bank 34.87 million and Access Holdings 26.56 million.
Insurance names also saw heavy turnover. AIICO Insurance led the segment with 73.63 million shares. Veritas Kapital Assurance traded 10.61 million shares, International Energy Insurance 7.75 million and Regency Alliance Insurance 5.77 million.
Among non-bank financial stocks, Nigerian Exchange Group Plc recorded 23.41 million shares and FCMB Group 13.23 million. In telecommunications, MTN Nigeria turned over 5.05 million shares while Airtel Africa traded 502,105 shares.
Sector and Other Indices
The NGX Premium Index advanced to 30,347.39 points from 30,275.09. The Banking Index edged higher to 2,553.08 points, and the Consumer Goods Index rose more strongly to 4,114.30 points. The Growth Index, by contrast, contracted to 26,533.97 from 26,725.57.
On the Exchange-Traded Funds board, Mergrowth ETF jumped 9.81 per cent to N117.50 and Siaml ETF 40 rose 9.59 per cent to N2,400. Debt market activity was limited, though the FGS202884 bond posted a 25 per cent absolute increase to close at N100.
Broader Context
The positive close extended the market’s recent rally, with the All-Share Index at 244,791.79 points during the week. Market capitalisation rose from N157.15 trillion on 10 September to N158.71 trillion on 16 September, reflecting firmer investor sentiment across key sectors.
