The Nigerian equities market sustained its bullish momentum on Thursday, with the benchmark All-Share Index climbing 1.23 per cent to close at 211,901 points, as investors added N1.66 trillion in value in a single trading session.

The rally pushed the year-to-date return to a robust 36.17 per cent, underscoring renewed investor confidence and continued appetite for equities despite pockets of cautious trading.

Market capitalisation closed at N134.77 trillion, reflecting the steady inflow of funds into stocks across key sectors of the market.

Trading sentiment remained firmly positive, with market breadth settling at 2.2 times, as 44 gainers significantly outpaced 20 losers. Leading the charge were Trans-Nationwide Express Plc, Guinea Insurance Plc, Aradel Holdings Plc, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, and DAAR Communications Plc, which recorded notable price appreciations.

On the flip side, Ikeja Hotel Plc, Wapic Insurance Plc (Coronation Insurance Plc), Chemical and Allied Products Plc, International Energy Insurance Plc, and McNichols Plc topped the losers’ chart.

Sectoral performance painted a mixed picture, though with a clear positive tilt. Oil and Gas stocks led the advance with a 4.76 percent gain, followed by the Commodity sector at 2.84 percent, Banking at 2.49 percent, and Consumer Goods at 0.34 percent. However, losses in Insurance and Industrial Goods, down 0.74 percent and 0.03 percent respectively, tempered the overall upside.

Despite the strong price rally, trading activity weakened across key indicators. Total volume traded declined by 17.19 percent to 584.96 million shares, while turnover fell 17.00 percent to N34.76 billion. The number of deals also dipped slightly by 1.45 percent to 45,559 transactions, suggesting a more measured approach by investors.

The market’s upward trajectory is likely to persist into Friday’s session, analysts project; though with subdued activity as investors reposition and adopt a cautious stance toward the end of the trading week.

The sustained rally reinforces the Nigerian Exchange’s position as one of the top-performing markets globally this year, buoyed by strong corporate earnings, sectoral resilience, and improving macroeconomic sentiment.

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