Shares of University Press Plc have soared over 57% month-to-date on the Nigerian stock market in May, as the company eyes its record performance of 76% set in October 2021.
The rally appears to be driven by investor response to the company’s Q4 financial results for the period ended March 2025, which showed a pre-tax profit of N639.5 million.
This represents a major turnaround from the same quarter a year earlier, when it posted a pre-tax loss of N222.1 billion.
The return to profitability was largely supported by a strong uptick in revenue, which rose by 29.24% to N3.4 billion, fueled by strong sales of printed books across Nigeria.
Regionally, the Western zone led with N1.62 billion in sales, followed by the North with N1.08 billion, and the East with N688.3 million.
Following the release of the results on April 29, the stock has gained significant momentum—rising from N3.74 to above N5 by late May, with a trading volume of 25.4 million shares to date.
Market trend
University Press is riding a moderate long-term bullish trend in the Nigerian stock market, with much of its recent momentum stemming from 2024, when it recorded a year-to-date gain of 60.42%.
- The stock began January 2025 on a strong note, gaining over 45% to close the month at N5.60.
- However, bearish pressure set in during early February and persisted through March and April, with the stock retreating to N3.74 by the end of April, on a trading volume of 13.3 million shares.
- Following the release of its Q4 2024 results on April 29, the stock staged a notable recovery, breaking through the key resistance level of N5.5.
The positive price action in May is likely linked to renewed investor confidence, spurred by the company’s return to profitability in Q4 ended March 2025.
About the company
University Press Plc is one of Nigeria’s oldest publishing companies, specializing in the printing, publishing, and distribution of educational and general interest books.
The company offers a diverse range of product lines tailored to various educational levels—pre-primary, primary, secondary, tertiary—as well as to the creative writing market.
Founded in 1949 as a branch of Oxford University Press, the company is headquartered in Ibadan.
Since 2012, its most successful month to date has been October 2021, when it recorded a 76.42% gain.
