March 15, (THEWILL) — A total turnover of 3.321 billion shares worth ₦164.845 billion was traded this week by investors on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange Group, in contrast to a total of 3.695 billion shares valued at ₦177.687 billion that exchanged hands last week.
The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 2.179 billion shares valued at ₦59.809 billion, thus contributing 65.61 percent and 36.28 percent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.
The Oil and Gas Industry followed with 207.690 million shares worth ₦27.606 billion.
Third place was the Consumer Goods Industry, with a turnover of 189.633 million shares valued at ₦11.852 billion.
Trading in the top three equities, namely Access Holdings Plc, Fortis Global Insurance Plc, and First Holdco Plc (measured by volume), accounted for 677.312 million shares worth ₦14.561 billion in 17,346 deals, contributing 20.39 percent and 8.83 percent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.
Meanwhile, the NGX All-Share Index and Market Capitalization appreciated by 0.73 percent to close the week at 198,407.30 and ₦127.361 trillion respectively.
All other indices finished lower with the exception of NGX Main Board, NGX 30, NGX Consumer Goods, NGX Oil and Gas, NGX Industrial Goods, NGX Sovereign Bond and NGX Pension Broad, which appreciated by 1.99 percent, 0.80 percent, 0.63 percent, 1.50 percent, 5.73 percent, 0.02 percent and 0.58 percent respectively.
Despite the positive close, market breadth reflected mixed investor sentiment during the week as the number of declining stocks outweighed advancing equities. While the market recorded a modest gain in the benchmark index, investors remained selective in positioning, focusing primarily on fundamentally strong stocks in the industrial, oil and gas, and healthcare sectors.
Analysts note that the week’s performance suggests cautious optimism among investors, with portfolio rebalancing and profit taking in some counters offsetting gains in others. This selective buying pattern indicates that investors are increasingly prioritising companies with strong earnings outlook and resilient fundamentals.
A total of 34 equities appreciated in price during the week, lower than 44 equities in the previous week. Sixty one equities depreciated in price, higher than fifty eight equities in the previous week, while fifty three equities remained unchanged, higher than forty six recorded in the previous week.
Top Gainers:
Premier Paints Plc advanced by 32.88 percent (N14.60 to N19.40).
Conoil Plc rose by 20.95 percent (N169.00 to N204.40).
BUA Cement Plc gained 20.00 percent (N225.00 to N270.00).
Fidson Healthcare Plc appreciated by 19.04 percent (N88.50 to N105.35).
Omatek Ventures Plc appreciated by 18.18 percent (opened at N2.20 and closed at N2.60).
Top Losers:
SCOA Nigeria Plc lost 34.06 percent (fell from N34.35 to N22.65).
Fortis Global Insurance Plc declined by 20.81 percent (opened at N1.49 and closed at N1.18).
Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc fell by 20.68 percent (N2.66 to N2.11).
Aluminium Extrusion Industries Plc depreciated by 18.71 percent (N15.50 to N12.60).
LivingTrust Mortgage Bank Plc dropped by 17.38 percent (N5.87 to N4.85).
Bonds:
A total of 84,691 units valued at ₦87.531 million were traded this week in 38 deals, compared with 30,180 units valued at ₦29.456 million transacted last week in 26 deals.
Outlook for Next Week:
Analysts expect the Nigerian equities market to remain cautiously positive in the coming week as investors continue to search for value in fundamentally strong stocks across key sectors such as financial services, industrial goods and oil and gas.
However, given the higher number of decliners recorded this week, market activity may continue to reflect profit taking and selective bargain hunting as investors rebalance their portfolios.
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.
