April 01, (THEWILL) — Nigeria’s equities market closed higher on Wednesday, as gains in selected heavyweight stocks lifted the benchmark index, even though decliners outpaced advancers during the trading session.
At the close of trading on the Nigerian Exchange, the market capitalisation increased from ₦129.209 trillion to ₦129.809 trillion, representing a gain of ₦600 billion. Similarly, the All-Share Index (ASI) advanced from 201,287.78 points to 201,703.55 points, reflecting renewed investor interest in selected large-cap stocks.
Market breadth remained negative during the session, with 22 gainers and 41 losers, indicating that profit-taking persisted across several counters despite the overall market advance.
TOP GAINERS FOR THE SESSION
UPDCREIT 10.00 percent (from ₦7.00 to ₦7.70).
INTENEGINS 9.91 percent (from ₦3.23 to ₦3.55).
RTBRISCOE 8.81 percent (from ₦9.65 to ₦10.50).
MBENEFIT 7.58 percent (from ₦4.09 to ₦4.40).
ZENITHBANK 7.52 percent (from ₦95.80 to ₦103.00).
TOP LOSERS FOR THE SESSION
NESTLE -10.00 percent (from ₦3,395.00 to ₦3,055.50).
OMATEK -10.00 percent (from ₦2.20 to ₦1.98).
FTNCOCOA -9.97 percent (from ₦5.92 to ₦5.33).
CHAMS -9.79 percent (from ₦4.39 to ₦3.96).
MAYBAKER -9.74 percent (from ₦38.00 to ₦34.30).
Meanwhile, several stocks closed the session unchanged, including MTN Nigeria Communications, Julius Berger Nigeria, DN Tyre & Rubber, Unity Bank, and Sunu Assurances Nigeria, among others.
Despite the negative breadth, the market’s positive close reflects sustained institutional interest in select large-cap counters, particularly within the banking sector, which continues to attract investor attention following the recent recapitalisation drive. Market analysts expect cautious trading in the near term as investors balance profit-taking with opportunities in fundamentally strong stocks.
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.
