April 10, (THEWILL) — Nigeria’s equities market closed on a strong bullish note on Friday as renewed buying interest across select counters pushed the benchmark index to fresh highs.
Market capitalisation opened the session at ₦130.459 trillion and closed significantly higher at ₦131.165 trillion, translating to a ₦706 billion gain for investors.
Similarly, the All-Share Index (ASI) advanced from 202,672.57 points at the start of trading to 203,770.43 points, reflecting sustained accumulation in key stocks and reinforcing the market’s upward trajectory.
Despite the strong index performance, market breadth closed negative with 24 gainers and 34 losers, suggesting that the rally was driven largely by gains in select counters rather than broad-based market participation.
On the gainers’ side,
FG202033S6 delivered an exceptional performance, surging 36.30 percent (from N85.00 to N115.86).
TRANSEXPR also posted an impressive advance of 9.91 percent, (rising from N3.43 to N3.77),
INTBREW recorded a strong 9.88 percent appreciation (from N12.15 to N13.35).
CHAMS followed closely with a 9.84 percent climb (from N3.05 to N3.35).
Guinness Nigeria Plc rounded out the top 5 gainers with a solid 9.38 percent increase (from N423.20 to N462.90).
On the losing side,
OMATEK recorded the steepest decline of the session, shedding -10.00 percent (from N2.30 to N2.07).
AUSTINLAZ also faced notable selling pressure, dropping -9.93 percent (from N4.43 to N3.99).
WAPIC declined -9.88 percent (from N3.24 to N2.92).
ZICHIS retreated -9.58 percent (from N13.88 to N12.55).
CORNERST slipped -8.77 percent (from N5.70 to N5.20).
Meanwhile, several heavyweight stocks closed flat during the trading session, including MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Dangote Cement Plc, Custodian Investment Plc, Golden Guinea Breweries Plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, and Nestlé Nigeria Plc, among others.
Overall, investor sentiment remained cautiously optimistic as bargain hunters continued to position in fundamentally strong counters, particularly within consumer and industrial segments.
Looking ahead to the next trading session, analysts expect the market to maintain its positive bias, supported by sustained liquidity inflows and ongoing portfolio repositioning.
Ogochukwu Onwaeze is a writer specializing in business and economic journalism. At THEWILL News Media, she translates market trends, financial developments, and policy shifts into clear and engaging stories.
