The NGX Premium Index ended 2025 higher than the broader Nigerian All-Share Index, rising 59.40% to 15,493.2 points, a gain of 5,773.4 points.
After opening the year at 9,719.8 points, the sub-index pushed past the 15,000 level, supported by trading activity of over 32 billion shares.
Over the same period, the All-Share Index rose 51.19%, or 52,686.6 points, to close at 155,613, leaving the Premium Index ahead on a year-to-date basis.
July drove the third-quarter rally, with the Premium Index gaining 26.74% in the month and lifting Q3 performance to an 18.19% return, the strongest quarter of the year.
The NGX Premium Index tracks Nigerian Exchange companies with strong governance and liquidity, requiring at least N40 billion free float, N200 billion market capitalisation, and a 70% governance score to support investor confidence.
For full-year 2025, gains were broad, with seven of the eight premium stocks ending the year in positive territory.
Occupying the sixth spot, UBA advanced 22.59% in 2025, closing at N41.65 from an opening of N33.98.
While this is slightly lower than its 32.59% year-to-date gain in 2024, trading volume also fell to 6 billion shares from 8 billion.
The stock started January on a high note with a 10.88% gain, but slipped to N35 in April. H1 ended with a modest 4.12% gain at N35.35.
However, the second half drove most of the yearly performance:
- July surged 40.21% to N49.60, though prices fell to N36.45 over the next four months.
- December delivered a strong 14.27% rally, closing the year at N41.65.
For the first nine months of 2025, UBA reported a post-tax profit of N537.5 billion, up 2.33% year-on-year, supported by a 10.1% rise in interest income to N1.98 trillion.
Its market capitalization stands at N1.76 trillion, representing 1.76% of the total market cap.
