April 24, (THEWILL) — Trading on the Nigerian equities market closed on a positive note on Friday, with key performance indicators recording strong gains amid renewed buying interest across several mid-cap counters.
The market capitalisation of the Nigerian Exchange Limited opened the session at ₦143.477 trillion and appreciated to ₦145.334 trillion at the close of trading.
Similarly, the All-Share Index (ASI) advanced from 222,837.68 points to 225,722.49 points, reflecting sustained investor demand for equities.
Market breadth closed firmly in positive territory, with 43 gainers against 23 losers, signalling strong bullish sentiment on the trading floor.
Top five gainers for the session
1. ACADEMY gained 10.00 percent (₦7.00 to ₦7.70).
2. UPDC advanced 10.00 percent (₦4.00 to ₦4.40).
3. HMCALL appreciated 9.97 percent (₦3.61 to ₦3.97).
4. ZICHIS rose 9.94 percent (₦14.19 to ₦15.60).
5. WEMABANK increased 9.84 percent (₦28.45 to ₦31.25).
On the flip side, losses were recorded in several equities.
Top five decliners
1. MEYER declined 9.92 percent (₦18.65 to ₦16.80).
2. TRANSEXPR shed 9.30 percent (₦8.71 to ₦7.90).
3. CILEASING dropped 8.53 percent (₦6.45 to ₦5.90).
4. OMATEK fell 7.34 percent (₦2.18 to ₦2.02).
5. ETRANZACT lost 5.28 percent (₦18.00 to ₦17.05).
Meanwhile, several blue-chip counters including Seplat Energy Plc, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc, and Golden Guinea Breweries Plc closed flat for the session.
Market analysts attributed the strong positive close to continued bargain hunting and renewed investor confidence across the equities market.
Looking ahead, analysts expect the bullish momentum to persist in the near term as investors position in fundamentally sound stocks while monitoring macroeconomic signals and corporate earnings releases.
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.
