The NGX Premium Index has delivered an impressive 53.86% year-to-date return as of the week ended October 17, 2025, driven by strong gains across the large-cap stocks that constitute the index.
In comparison, the broader All-Share Index is up 44.74%, while the NGX 30 has risen 42.69%, indicating that the Premium Index has outperformed other major benchmarks so far this year.
The NGX Premium Index tracks companies on the Nigerian Exchange that meet high standards of corporate governance, transparency, and market liquidity.
To qualify, a company must have free float shares valued at N40 billion or more, meet a minimum capital requirement of N200 billion, and score at least 70% on the NGX Corporate Governance Rating System, among other criteria.
These requirements are aimed at ensuring that listed companies have adequate market depth and strong governance structures that promote investor confidence.
Since 2020, the Premium Index has closed each year in positive territory. With a 53.86% gain so far in 2025, it remains on course for another positive year, though still below its 2020 record performance of 64.01%.
This report reviews the individual stocks that make up the Premium Board and their year-to-date performance in 2025
Here they are.
United Bank for Africa Plc has gained 23.62% so far in 2025. The stock opened the year at N34.00 and advanced more than 10% in January to close at N37.65.
It added 8.53% in the first quarter, supported by heavy trading volumes exceeding one billion shares, before easing to N35.35 in the second quarter, largely on account of April’s pullback.
Momentum returned in July as the stock rallied over 40% to a new all-time high of N49.60, before moderating to N42.00 by mid-October.
For the half-year ended June 30, 2025, UBA reported a pre-tax profit of N388.4 billion, slightly lower than N401.5 billion in the same period last year.
Top-line performance remained solid, driven by a 32.89% rise in interest income to N1.3 trillion.
