The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) wrapped up trading on 18 February 2026 on a positive note, climbing 1,106.72 points to close at 190,427.96 as buying interest lingered across the board.
This marks a 0.58% uptick from the previous close of 189,321.24, showing that bullish sentiment remained firmly in control of the session.
Activity was anything but quiet, with investors exchanging 3.6 billion shares on Customs Street across 68,693 deals, a sharp jump from the 1.19 billion shares recorded previously.
Much of the buzz centered on FCMB, which accounted for 80% of total volume as 2.9 billion shares worth N35.8 billion changed hands, supporting market capitalization to N122.2 trillion.
What the data is saying
Market momentum swung back into bullish territory after the prior session’s dip, with the index reclaiming the 190,000 mark and pushing year-to-date returns higher to 22.37%.
On the gainers’ table, AXA Mansard, Sky Aviation, and Beta Glass each hit the 10% daily price limit, reflecting strong demand.
Conversely, Deap Capital and Mecure Industries topped the losers’ chart, declining by 10% and 9.99% respectively.
In trading activity, FCMB Group dominated volume with 2.9 billion shares, ahead of Chams (59.2 million), Secure Electronic Technology (52.2 million), Mutual Benefits Assurance (37.5 million), and Access Holdings (34.7 million).
It also topped the value chart with N35.8 billion, trading alongside heavyweights such as Zenith Bank (N2.5 billion), MTN Nigeria (N2.06 billion), Seplat Energy (N1.58 billion), and PZ Cussons Nigeria (N1.53 billion).
Top 5 Gainers
- Beta Glass — up 10.00% to N498.50
- Sky Aviation Handling Company — up 10.00% to N128.70
- AXA Mansard — up 10.00% to N17.05
- Zichis — up 9.95% to N14.36
- Japaul Gold — up 9.90% to N3.33
Top 5 Losers
- DeapCapital — down 10.00% to N6.30
- Mecure — down 9.99% to N84.25
- Vitafoam — down 9.98% to N116.85
- Union Dicon — down 9.80% to N18.40
- Abbey Mortgage Bank — down 9.62% to N10.80
SWOOTs and FUGAZ performance
Among SWOOTs—stocks with market capitalisation above N1 trillion—performance leaned bullish, with Seplat Energy advancing 8.33% and International Breweries rising 2.78%.
- On the downside, Wema Bank slipped 0.92%, standing out as the only laggard within the large-cap category.
In the FUGAZ banking segment, sentiment was mixed as gains in Zenith Bank (+3.91%), United Bank for Africa (+1.51%), and First HoldCo (+0.52%) contrasted with declines in two other stocks.
- Meanwhile, Access Holdings fell 2.91% and Guaranty Trust Holding Company shed 1.07%, tempering overall momentum.
What you should know
The Nigerian Exchange reclaimed the 190,000-threshold, supported by renewed buying interest.
- This recovery was largely driven by mid-cap stocks, with a few large caps, such as Seplat Energy, taking the lead.
- The NGX Banking sector, which fell 3.69% in the previous session and pressured the broader market, rebounded 0.67% at the close of trading on 18 February 2026.
Although the Nigerian All-Share Index remains in overbought territory, sustained strength in large-cap names could propel the benchmark toward the 191,000 and 192,000 levels.
