October 31, (THEWILL) — The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) closed positively on Friday, October 31, sustaining its rebound as renewed interest in industrial and financial stocks lifted the benchmark indices.
The All-Share Index (ASI) advanced by 0.29 percent, moving from 153,676.66 points to 154,126.46 points, while market capitalisation appreciated by N278 billion, rising from N97.54 trillion to N97.82 trillion.
Market sentiment remained mixed, with 31 gainers and 35 losers recorded at the close of trading — reflecting measured investor positioning as October trading rounds off.
Top Gainers
Julius Berger Nigeria Plc (JBERGER) led the gainers’ chart with a 10.00 percent increase (N138.00 to N151.80), followed by Learn Africa Plc (LEARNAFRICA), which also rose by 10.00 percent (N5.90 to N6.49).
Cornerstone Insurance Plc (CORNERST) advanced 9.82 percent (N5.60 to N6.15), ASO Savings and Loans Plc (ASOSAVINGS) gained 9.57 percent (N0.94 to N1.03), while Ikeja Hotel Plc (IKEJAHOTEL) added 8.36 percent (N17.35 to N18.80).
Top Losers
Deap Capital Management & Trust Plc (DEAPCAP) led the losers with a 10.00 percent decline (N1.90 to N1.71), trailed by Eterna Plc (ETERNA), which also fell 10.00 percent (N40.00 to N36.00).
McNichols Plc (MCINHOLS) dropped 10.00 percent (N3.30 to N2.99), Sunu Assurances Plc (SUNUASSUR) lost 9.98 percent (N5.01 to N4.51), and UPDC Plc shed 9.93 percent (N6.85 to N6.17).
Trading activity reflected cautious optimism, with investors rotating positions in value stocks across the construction, insurance, and hospitality sectors. Despite the narrow breadth, the uptick in the key indicators points to renewed interest in select equities with consistent performance history.
Unchanged stocks included MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Dangote Cement Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc, Seplat Energy Plc, and Custodian Investment Plc.
The equities market is expected to open the new month with measured momentum as investors realign portfolios for November ahead of new earnings disclosures.
Ogochukwu Onwaeze
