April 17, (THEWILL) — The Nigerian equities market closed the week on a strong bullish note as sustained buying interest lifted key indicators higher during Friday’s trading session.
Market capitalisation opened the session at ₦136.435 trillion and advanced to ₦139.826 trillion at the close, representing a ₦3.39 trillion gain. Similarly, the All-Share Index (ASI) rose from 211,901.02 points at the opening bell to 217,167.57 points, reflecting renewed investor appetite across several large-cap and mid-cap stocks.
Market breadth closed positive as the session recorded 44 gainers against 27 losers, underscoring widespread buying momentum across the market.
The rally was driven largely by strong price appreciation in the banking, aviation and industrial sectors, with investors positioning in fundamentally strong equities amid improving liquidity in the market.
TOP 5 GAINERS FOR THE SESSION
NAHCO 10.00 percent (₦200.00 to ₦220.00).
TRANSEXPR 10.00 percent (₦5.50 to ₦6.05).
ETI 9.97 percent (₦61.20 to ₦67.30).
ACCESSCORP 9.93 percent (₦27.20 to ₦29.90).
DAARCOMM 9.64 percent ( ₦1.66 to ₦1.82).
TOP 5 LOSERS FOR THE SESSION
MECURE -9.96 percent (₦67.30 to ₦60.60).
HONYFLOUR -9.52 percent (₦21.00 to ₦19.00).
ABBEYBDS -9.50 percent (₦8.95 to ₦8.10).
ETRANZACT -9.27 percent (₦20.50 to ₦18.60).
CAVERTON -9.02 percent (₦6.10 to ₦5.55).
Meanwhile, several bellwether stocks, including Seplat Energy Plc, Custodian Investment Plc, Golden Guinea Brewery, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, and Nestle Nigeria Plc, closed flat for the session.
Investor sentiment remained broadly positive as market participants continued to rotate funds into high-performing counters following the sustained upward momentum recorded throughout the week.
Market analysts expect the bullish momentum to persist in the near term as investors continue to position ahead of corporate earnings releases and dividend expectations. However, intermittent profit-taking could temper gains in the early sessions of the new trading week.
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.
