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.
Zenith Bank ended 2025 with a 35.82% gain, closing at N61.80 from N45.50. Trading was slightly higher than in 2024, with 6.6 billion shares exchanged.
The stock began the year with a slow 3.3% gain in Q1, but Q2 saw a stronger 21.17% rise to N56.95, largely driven by June activity.
The bulk of the gains occurred in the second half, with July surging 34.33% to N76.50. However, subsequent declines lowered the price to N60 by November, but a 3% rally in December brought it back to N61.80.
Zenith Bank reported a 9M 2025 pre-tax profit of N917.4 billion, driven by a 40.7% increase in interest income to N2.74 trillion, compared with N1.95 trillion in 2024.
Its market capitalization currently stands at N2.6 trillion, representing 2.65% of the total market.
