The Nigerian stock market wrapped up trading on Wednesday, 21 January, with a modest gain, rising by 10.8 points to settle at 166,267.6.
This marked the fourth consecutive session of limited price movement, even as market activity picked up, with trading volume rising to 822 million shares from 795 million shares in the previous session.
Market capitalisation reflected the muted price action, remaining flat at N106.4 trillion, as investors exchanged shares across 43,548 deals.
Stanbic IBTC and Zenith Bank led in value terms, with each recording about N2.7 billion worth of shares traded during the session.
What the data is saying
The ASI’s modest gain lifted its year-to-date return to 6.85%, suggesting that investors remain cautiously optimistic amid muted price movements.
On the gainers’ table, McNichols, RT Briscoe, and NCR all surged by the maximum 10%, while UPDC REIT and Champion led the losers, falling 9.68% and 9.31%, respectively.
- ZICHIS Agro Allied topped trading volumes with 69.2 million shares, followed by NSLTECH (54.7 million) and Access Holdings (40.1 million).
- Zenith Bank and Tantalizer completed the top five by volume, exchanging 38.1 million and 33 million shares, respectively.
By transaction value, Stanbic IBTC led with N2.78 billion, followed closely by Zenith Bank (N2.74 billion), NB (N2.4 billion), GTCO (N2.1 billion), and Aradel (N1.4 billion).
Top 5 Gainers
- McNichols — up 10.00% to N6.93
- RT Briscoe — up 10.00% to N4.95
- NCR — up 10.00% to N171.05
- Jaiz Bank — up 9.99% to N7.93
- May & Baker — up 9.95% to N43.65
Top 5 Losers
- UPDC REIT — down 9.68% to N8.40
- Champion — down 9.31% to N19.00
- NSL Tech — down 6.78% to N1.10
- WAPIC — down 6.69% to N3.35
- Ecobank— down 6.00% to N47.00
SWOOTs and FUGAZ
Among SWOOTs (stocks worth over N1 trillion), performance was mixed:
- International Breweries rose 0.67%, while Lafarge gained 0.57%
- Aradel declined 1.86%, and Nigerian Breweries slipped 0.19%
FUGAZ banking stocks also delivered a mixed performance:
- Zenith Bank and First HoldCo ended the day flat, while Access Holdings inched up 0.22%
- On the other hand, UBA fell 0.22% and GTCO dipped 0.05%
Why this matters
The small gain in the All-Share Index shows investors are cautious, picking selective stocks while taking profits in others.
Heavy trading in ZICHIS Agro Allied, NSLTECH, and Access Holdings highlights where interest is focused, while strong value in Stanbic IBTC and Zenith Bank shows activity in key blue-chip stocks.
Market outlook
Despite the day’s gain, the All-Share Index is showing signs of limited movement, suggesting that investors are carefully reassessing entry points.
While renewed buying interest in select large-cap stocks could support a broader rally, the market remains exposed to short-term pullbacks amid stretched price levels.
