Equity Investors Gain N152bn as BUA Cement, Presco Rally
Equity investors’ portfolio value increased by N152 billion following positive price movement in BUA Cement and PRESCO, supported by gains posted by some lightweight stocks amidst mixed expectations on interest rate adjustment.
The local bourse gained more weight amidst the monetary policy committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) committee meeting, which started in Abuja today.
Intraday trading data showed sentiment had waned during early trading hours, but strong buying interest in some blue-chip stocks, PRESCO (5.1%) , BUACEMENT (5.2%) , and others, helped overturn the bearish sentiment and steered the market to a green close
Trading data from the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) showed that the All-Share Index (ASI) rose by 0.18% to close at 131,826.77 points. The positive momentum lifted the year-to-date (YTD) return to 28.08%, reflecting sustained investor optimism and deepening confidence in the resilience of the domestic market.
Market capitalization also witnessed a significant boost, gaining ₦152 billion to settle at ₦83.39 trillion, stockbrokers said in separate market updates. The momentum in the local bourse underscores improved market liquidity and a strong appetite for fundamentally sound stocks.
Despite the upbeat performance, market breadth tilted slightly negative, as 31 stocks advanced while 44 declined—suggesting a mix of bargain hunting and profit-taking activities.
ACCESSCORP led the activity chat, accounting for 8.75% of the total volume of all trades consummated in the market, followed by CONHALLPLC (6.24%), CHAMS (5.48%), UBA (4.66%), and ZENITHBANK (3.49%), rounding out the top five.
PRESCO also emerged as the most traded stock in value terms, accounting for 14.43% of the total value of all trades executed on the exchange. CUTIX, INTENEGINS, and NCR topped the advancers’ chart with a price appreciation of 10.00 percent each, trailed by TIP (+9.97%), CAVERTON (+9.75%), RTBRISCOE (+9.71%), JBERGER (+8.66%), WAPIC (+7.76%), and twenty-three others.
MEYER was the top loser, with a price depreciation of -10.00%, trailed by MCNICHOLS (-9.95%), DEAPCAP (-9.77%), HMCALL (-7.98%), JAPAULGOLD (-6.98%), and TRANSCORP (-2.45%). Sectoral performance was mixed, influenced by renewed investor interest in specific counters. The consumer goods, industrial goods, and commodities sectors advanced by 0.06%, 1.50%, and 0.50%, respectively.
In contrast, the banking, insurance, and oil & gas sectors recorded declines of 0.37%, 1.35%, and 0.10%, respectively. Total volume and value of transactions dropped by 78.91% and 65.44%, respectively, even as the number of deals increased by 7.54%. Investors exchanged 706.04 million shares valued at ₦21.56 billion across 30,750 deals.
The positive movement was largely driven by buying interest in BUACEMENT, PRESCO, and WAPCO. ACCESSCORP led in trading volume, accounting for 9.34% of the total units traded (6.1 million), while PRESCO recorded the highest transaction value for 14.53% of the total value at ₦3.1 billion. Africa Finance Corp. Secures $255m Syndicated Loan from UAE Banks
