April 21, (THEWILL) — Nigeria’s equities market closed marginally higher on Tuesday, as gains in select consumer goods and industrial stocks helped lift the benchmark index despite a broader decline across the market.
The trading session opened with the market capitalisation at ₦140.435 trillion and closed slightly higher at ₦140.523 trillion.
Similarly, the All-Share Index (ASI) advanced from 218,113.84 points at the opening bell to 218,249.81 points at the close of trading.
Market breadth, however, tilted negative as 44 stocks declined compared with 25 gainers, reflecting cautious investor sentiment and profit-taking in several mid- and large-cap counters.
Top Five Gainers for the Session
1. NASCON gained 10.00 percent, (rising from ₦156.00 to ₦171.60).
2. UNIONDICON advanced 9.92 percent, (moving from ₦18.15 to ₦19.95).
3. WAPCO climbed 9.64 percent, (increasing from ₦249.00 to ₦273.00).
4. TRANSEXPR appreciated 8.27 percent, (up from ₦6.65 to ₦7.20).
5. UACN added 7.84 percent, rising (from ₦102.00 to ₦110.00).
Top Five Losers
1. LEGENDINT declined -9.92 percent, (falling from ₦6.25 to ₦5.63).
2. ABBEYBDS shed -9.59 percent, (dropping from ₦7.30 to ₦6.60).
3. STANBIC slipped -8.96 percent, (retreating from ₦169.70 to ₦154.50).
4. ACCESSCORP lost -8.83 percent, (declining from ₦32.85 to ₦29.95).
5. VERITASKAP fell -7.50 percent, (easing from ₦2.00 to ₦1.85).
Meanwhile, several heavyweight stocks including Seplat Energy, Julius Berger Nigeria, Cadbury Nigeria, Nestlé Nigeria, Unilever Nigeria, and Golden Guinea Breweries closed flat during the session.
The mixed performance reflects ongoing portfolio adjustments by investors following the recent rally in banking and industrial stocks.
Analysts say the narrow gain in the benchmark index suggests the market may be entering a consolidation phase as investors reassess valuations and await fresh corporate and macroeconomic catalysts.
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.
