The NGX Insurance sector powered through 2025 with an impressive return of 65.64%, outperforming the broader All-Share Index, which gained 51.19%.
Tracked by its index, the sector gained 471.3 points, rising from 719.9 to close at 1,189.3 points and decisively breaking the 1,000-point barrier.
Only the NGX Consumer Goods sector posted a stronger performance, returning 129.57%.
Even so, 2025 was a solid year for insurance stocks, although it fell short of the sector’s exceptional 123% return in 2024, while Consumer Goods delivered 54% last year.
On a month-to-date basis, August emerged as the strongest month in 2025, advancing 44.30%.
The surge was largely driven by a positive market reaction to President Tinubu’s signing of the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025, which promises stronger consumer protection, improved capital adequacy, and overall sector stability.
August’s rally pushed H2 2025 to become the year’s strongest half, up 57.42%, with the third quarter emerging as the standout period, rising over 57%.
This sector-wide performance was driven by strong gains in individual insurance stocks. Below are the top 10 performers behind the rally.
Cornerstone Insurance Plc ranked ninth in 2025, posting a 65.56% return to investors. Shares advanced from an opening price of N3.59 to close at N5.95, supported by trading volume exceeding 4 billion shares.
After opening the year lower at N3.47 following a 3.61% January decline, the stock extended losses to N3.07 by April. Improved sentiment in May and June reversed the trend, lifting the price to N4.28 and delivering an 18.89% gain in H1.
The rally intensified in the second half, with August standing out as the strongest month after a 38.91% surge pushed the stock above N6 to a peak of N6.40.
Profit-taking emerged in September, and although the shares briefly held above N6, they eventually closed the year slightly lower at N5.95.
Cornerstone reported nine-month insurance revenue of N37.1 billion, up from N26.6 billion in the prior year. Gross claims rose to N9.9 billion from N2.22 billion.
The company has a market value of N122.4 billion.
