Lagos: The Nigerian equities market delivered a record‑breaking performance on Wednesday, closing bullish with a ₦1.37 trillion surge in market value — the largest single‑day gain in recent history.
Market capitalisation, which opened at ₦106.494 trillion, climbed to ₦107.861 trillion, representing a 1.28 per cent increase. The All‑Share Index also advanced by 2,128.61 points, moving from 165,901.57 to 168,030.18.
Analysts attributed the rally to strong investor appetite for blue‑chip stocks and the release of corporate earnings reports, which boosted confidence across sectors.
The session closed positively with 53 gainers against 26 losers, underscoring broad‑based momentum.
Top gainers: Berger Paints, RT Briscoe, Daar Communications, and Fortis Global Insurance each appreciated by 10 per cent, closing at ₦66, ₦10.45, ₦1.87, and 22k per share, respectively.
Other strong performers: First Holding Company rose 9.92 per cent to ₦48.75 per share.
On the downside: Top losers: Red Star Express and Deep Capital Management shed 9.97 per cent, closing at ₦17.15 and ₦6.86 per share. Union Homes Real Estate Investment fell 9.95 per cent to ₦69.25. McNicholas dropped 9.93 per cent to ₦6.53. Etranzact declined 9.89 per cent to ₦16.85 per share.
Despite the bullish close, overall activity dipped slightly compared to the previous day. Specifically, 694.8 million shares worth ₦20.6 billion were exchanged in 42,095 deals, compared with 736.4 million shares valued at ₦24.7 billion traded in 46,026 deals the day before.
Highest volume: Chams led with 57.44 million shares, accounting for 8.27 per cent of total turnover.
Highest value: Seplat topped the chart with trades worth ₦2.56 billion, representing 12.45 per cent of total value.
Market watchers say the historic gain reflects renewed confidence in Nigerian equities, with expectations that momentum could continue if macroeconomic signals remain supportive.
