The Nigerian stock market carried its bullish momentum into Tuesday’s trading session, handing investors a windfall of ₦1.864 trillion.
The surge was powered by strong buying interest in both large- and mid-cap stocks, with companies such as Zichis Agro Allied Industries, Cadbury Nigeria, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), Ikeja Hotel, and Daar Communications among the standout performers.
Market capitalisation climbed to ₦152.135 trillion, up from ₦150.271 trillion at the previous close, representing a 1.24 per cent gain.
The All-Share Index mirrored the rise, advancing by 2,905.05 points to settle at 237,083.28. With this, the year-to-date return strengthened to 52.35 per cent, underscoring the market’s resilience.
Cadbury Nigeria and Zichis Agro Allied Industries led the charge, each gaining 10 per cent to close at ₦61.60 and ₦26.62 per share.
NAHCO followed closely with a 9.99 per cent rise to ₦147 per share, while Daar Communications jumped 9.94 per cent to ₦1.99. Ikeja Hotel also impressed, climbing 9.90 per cent to ₦47.20 per share.
Not all stocks shared in the rally. Critical Minerals Financing Corp, Trans-Nationwide Express, and Fortis Global Insurance each shed 10 per cent, closing at ₦3.33, ₦2.70, and ₦2.61, respectively. Ecobank Transnational Incorporated slipped 9.98 per cent to ₦85.70, while Mecure Industries lost 9.96 per cent to ₦85.75.
Despite the gains, trading activity slowed. Total volume fell to 493.67 million shares, valued at ₦28.02 billion across 49,969 deals. Zenith Bank remained the most actively traded stock for the third consecutive session, accounting for 94.29 million shares — nearly a fifth of the day’s total volume — and transactions worth ₦9.91 billion, representing more than a third of the market’s value traded.
The rally reflects investor confidence in select equities, even as overall activity softened. With the market’s year-to-date return now above 52 per cent, analysts say the momentum could continue if appetite for key stocks remains strong.
