The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) closed in positive territory on 12 February 2026, gaining 441.3 points to settle at 178,625.6.
This reflects a 0.25% increase from the previous session’s close of 178,184.3, supported by strong buying interest, with Seplat hitting the daily 10% price limit.
Trading activity moderated during the session, with total volume declining to 698.3 million shares from 939 million shares recorded in the previous trading day.
Market capitalisation edged higher to N114.6 trillion, with a total of 50,886 deals recorded. In terms of value traded, GTCO and Zenith Bank led the activity chart for the day.
What the data is saying
Market momentum remains firm as the ASI’s gain lifted year-to-date returns to 14.79% from 14.50%, reflecting sustained investor confidence with the index now approaching the 179,000 psychological level.
On the performance table, gains were driven by strong buying interest in select stocks.
- Seplat, RT Briscoe, and Deap Capital each advanced by the maximum daily limit of 10%.
On the flip side, profit-taking pressure weighed on Nigerian Aviation Handling Company and Abbey Mortgage Bank, which declined by 9.98% and 9.68%, respectively.
Trading activity was concentrated in banking and mid-cap names.
- Access Holdings led by volume with 52.05 million shares, followed by Zenith Bank (42.5 million) and Tantalizer (42.1 million).
- GTCO (40.7 million) and Deap Capital (34.4 million) also recorded heavy turnover, reflecting active investor positioning.
By value, institutional interest appeared strongest in GTCO with N4.3 billion in transactions, followed by Zenith Bank (N3.3 billion), MTNN (N2.00 billion), Seplat (N1.86 billion), and Aradel (N1.83 billion).
Top 5 Gainers
- Seplat — up 10.00% to N8,107.00
- RT Briscoe — up 10.00% to N15.84
- DeapCap — up 10.00% to N8.69
- Zichis — up 9.97% to N9.82
- DAAR Communications — up 9.96% to N2.76
Top 5 Losers
- Nigerian Aviation Handling Company — down 9.98% to N148.45
- Abbey Mortgage Bank — down 9.68% to N11.20
- Eterna — down 9.50% to N30.00
- May & Baker — down 9.19% to N40.50
- Ecobank — down 8.72% to N45.00
SWOOTs and FUGAZ Performance
Among SWOOTs (stocks valued above N1 trillion), performance was mixed.
- Seplat gained 10%, while MTN advanced 0.46%.
On the downside, Dangote Cement declined 1.84%, Lafarge shed 1.61%, and Nigerian Breweries fell 1.16%.
In the FUGAZ banking segment, gains were modest.
- UBA rose 1.06%, GTCO added 0.94%, Access Holdings climbed 0.63%, and Zenith Bank edged up 0.19%, while First HoldCo closed flat.
What to know
This marks the ninth consecutive session of gains for the All-Share Index, following a period of relatively stagnant price action.
The index is now eyeing the 179,000 threshold, with market capitalisation approaching N115 trillion.
Although the market appears technically overbought, bullish momentum in large-cap stocks continues to drive the rally.
Stronger gains in heavyweight counters, particularly within the banking sector, could push the index toward the 180,000 mark.
Market outlook
Bullish sentiment in the Nigerian equities market remains firm despite lower trading volume, as investors continue to rotate into large-cap names such as Seplat.
Sustained strength in both large- and mid-cap stocks may provide the support needed for a move toward 180,000 points.
