February 26, (THEWILL) — The Nigerian equities market closed Thursday’s session on a bearish note as selling pressure across key sectors outweighed gains in select counters.
Profit-taking dominated the day, particularly in financial and consumer-focused stocks, leading to a subdued trading outcome.
The market opened with a total capitalization of 124.753 trillion naira and closed at 124.238 trillion naira, while the NGX All-Share Index opened at 194,370.20 and closed at 193,567.81, reflecting a mild retreat in overall market value.
Market breadth was negative, with 30 gainers contrasted against 38 losers, signaling cautious investor sentiment and selective buying.
Top gainers for the session were led by FTN Cocoa Processors, which rose 10.00 percent from 5.50 naira to 6.05 naira, followed by R.T. Briscoe with a 9.95 percent increase to 11.38 naira.
Deap Capital Management and Trust climbed 9.92 percent to close at 6.98 naira, while Japaul Gold and Ventures gained 9.91 percent to finish at 3.77 naira. Omatek Ventures rounded out the top five with a 9.72 percent rise to 2.37 naira.
Conversely, leading the losers chart was Jaiz Bank, which fell 9.98 percent from 14.03 naira to 12.63 naira.
Ikeja Hotel declined by 9.90 percent to 37.75 naira, and John Holt dropped by 9.90 percent to close at 8.65 naira.
Enamelware saw a 9.88 percent dip to 36.50 naira, while Cadbury Nigeria retreated by 9.69 percent to finish the session at 61.95 naira.
Several stocks closed flat for the session, including MTN Nigeria Communications, Dangote Cement, Seplat Energy, Julius Berger, DN Tyre and Rubber, and Golden Guinea Brewery, reflecting selective interest in fundamentally strong counters despite broad-based declines.
Thursday’s session underscores heightened market caution as investors continue to adjust portfolios following recent volatility.
Analysts suggest monitoring financial and industrial stocks for potential rebound opportunities, while market participants remain cautious in anticipation of sector-specific earnings releases and macroeconomic updates in the coming sessions.
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.
