The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) witnessed a vibrant trading session on Wednesday, May 15, 2025, as investors collectively gained N186 billion in market capitalisation. The bullish momentum was largely fueled by renewed buying interest in key sectors, including consumer goods, banking, and oil and gas, signaling growing investor confidence in Nigeria’s stock market.
At the close of trading, the NGX All-Share Index rose by 296.72 points, representing a 0.27 percent increase, to settle at 109,059.33 points. This uplift boosted the total market capitalisation to N68.6 trillion, up from N68.4 trillion recorded at the end of the previous session. The year-to-date return now stands at an encouraging 5.96 percent, reflecting a steady positive trend since the start of 2025.
Trading activity was robust, with 531.3 million shares exchanged across 14,870 deals, valued at approximately N19.81 billion. These figures indicate a 7 percent increase in volume and a remarkable 84 percent surge in turnover compared to Tuesday’s trading session, demonstrating heightened market activity and liquidity.
The market breadth remained positive, with 128 equities participating in trading. Of these, 34 stocks gained in value while 24 declined. Leading the gainers was Northern Nigeria Flour Mills, which surged by 10 percent to close at N99.55 per share. Other notable gainers included McNichols and Champion Breweries, which rose by 10 percent and 9.91 percent respectively. Caverton Offshore Support Group also posted a strong gain of 9.78 percent, closing at N4.04 per share.
Conversely, Multiverse Mining and Exploration recorded the highest loss, falling by 9.63 percent to close at N9.85. Legend Internet and Veritas Kapital Assurance followed with declines of 5.41 percent and 4.76 percent respectively. Transcorp Nigeria also experienced a dip, dropping by 4.65 percent to close at N44.10 per share.
In terms of trading volume, Guaranty Trust Holding Company led the market with 53.3 million shares traded, followed closely by Access Holdings with 51.9 million shares. Fidelity Bank and Nigerian Breweries also featured among the most actively traded stocks with volumes of 40.5 million and 35.8 million shares respectively.
Sectoral indices mirrored the overall market optimism. The Consumer Goods Index recorded the highest gain of 2.91 percent, reflecting strong investor appetite for FMCG stocks. The Oil and Gas Index rose by 0.75 percent, while the Banking Index increased by 0.58 percent. The Main Board Index, Top 30 Index, and Insurance Index also posted modest gains, signaling broad-based sectoral growth.
The recent bullish performance at NGX comes after a significant rebound on Tuesday, where the market capitalisation surged by N315 billion, closing at N68.4 trillion. Key stocks such as Oando, Chellarams, and Transcorp played instrumental roles in that rally, setting a positive tone for the current trading session.
Experts believe that sustained investor confidence in the Nigerian equity market is driven by optimism around Nigeria’s economic recovery, improved corporate earnings, and supportive government policies aimed at boosting the investment climate. Additionally, increasing foreign portfolio inflows and a stable macroeconomic environment have contributed to this upward trend.
Investors are advised to monitor sectoral developments closely, especially in consumer goods and banking, as these sectors continue to show resilience and growth potential amid Nigeria’s evolving economic landscape.