October 19, (THEWILL) — The Nigerian equities market closed the week on a positive note as investors sustained bullish sentiment across major sectors of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX). The market recorded a total turnover of 2.422 billion shares worth N76.618 billion, compared to 2.286 billion shares valued at N90.280 billion traded in the previous week, reflecting improved activity levels despite lower trade value.
The Financial Services industry led the activity chart with a total of 1.662 billion shares valued at N32.565 billion, driven largely by renewed interest in tier-one banking stocks. The ICT industry followed with 184.884 million shares valued at N8.662 billion, while the Service industry ranked third with a turnover of 154.537 million shares worth N1.066 billion, underscoring broad-based participation across multiple sectors.
Market performance indicators also improved, as both the market capitalisation and the All-Share Index (ASI) advanced by 1.35% and 1.36%, respectively. The market capitalisation opened the week at N93.76 trillion and closed at N94.56 trillion while the ASI moved from 147,717.23 to 148,977.64, reflecting renewed investor confidence and increased positioning in value stocks.
Similarly, most sectoral indices closed in positive territory, with the exception of the NGX CG, NGX Banking, NGX AFR Bank Value, NGX AFR Div Yield, NGX MERI Growth, NGX MERI Value, and NGX Growth Indices, which depreciated by 0.19%, 0.13%, 0.51%, 0.93%, 0.97%, 0.68%, and 2.08%, respectively.
In terms of market breadth, fifty-two (52) equities appreciated in price during the week, higher than fifty-one (51) recorded in the previous week. Meanwhile, forty-one (41) equities depreciated in price, unchanged from the prior week, while fifty-three (53) equities remained unchanged, lower than fifty-five (55) recorded in the preceding week.
Top Gainers for the Week:
- SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE gained 11.21% (N3.21 to N3.57).
- ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC advanced 11.11% (N2.16 to N2.40).
- EUNISELL appreciated by 10.00% (N44.00 to N48.40).
- SFS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST rose 9.8% (N381.10 to N418.75).
- OMATEK VENTURES PLC increased 9.49% (N1.37 to N1.50).
Top Losers for the Week
- TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC declined -18.84% (N6.05 to N4.91).
- ACADEMY PRESS lost -17.92% (N9.60 to N7.88).
- REGENCY ASSURANCE PLC fell -13.94% (N1.65 to N1.42).
- LIVINGTRUST MORTGAGE BANK dipped -13.46% (N5.20 to N4.50).
- INDUSTRIAL AND MEDICAL GASES dropped -9.87% (N35.95 to N32.40).
Fixed Income Market (Bonds):
In the bond segment, a total of 448,601 units valued at N381.846 million were traded this week in 46 deals, compared with 984,209 units valued at N883.357 million transacted last week in 28 deals, indicating a decline in both volume and value as investors rotated focus toward equities.
Investor Sentiment:
Overall, investor sentiment remained largely positive throughout the week, supported by improved earnings expectations, stable macroeconomic indicators, and renewed foreign interest in select blue-chip stocks. However, mild profit-taking was observed in some banking counters, reflecting portfolio rebalancing by institutional investors.
As the final quarter of 2025 progresses, market participants are expected to maintain a cautious optimism, balancing opportunities in dividend-paying stocks with concerns around inflation and policy adjustments in the financial sector.
Ogochukwu Onwaeze
