The Nigerian All-Share Index rose 0.99% on the trading day ended 20 February 2026, closing at 194,989.8 points, with Fidson, Jaiz Bank, and MPF Microfinance Bank topping the advancers.
This represents a 1,916.2-point gain from 193,073.6 recorded the previous day, as the index broke the 194,000 barrier and edged closer to 195,000.
Despite the increase in price, market volume was slightly lower at 820 million shares compared with 898 million shares the previous day, with 63,507 deals executed.
Equity capitalization stood at N125.1 trillion, up from N123.9 trillion the previous day, led in value by Zenith Bank and MTN.
What the data is saying
Bullish momentum continued during the session, as the index broke the 194,000 psychological barrier, pushing its year-to-date return to over 25%.
- On the gainers’ table, Fidson, Jaiz Bank, and MPF Microfinance Bank each advanced by the daily 10% price limit, reflecting strong buying interest.
- Conversely, Secure Electronic Technology and Sovereign Trust Insurance were the biggest losers, shedding 10% and 9.73%, respectively.
In terms of trading activity, Mutual Benefits dominated volume with 79.02 million shares traded, followed by Zenith Bank (43.9 million), Chams (43.8 million), AIICO (42.3 million), and Veritas Kapital (35.9 million).
On the value chart, Zenith Bank led with N3.7 billion, followed by MTN Nigeria (N2.4 billion), Aradel (N2 billion), Seplat (N1.6 billion), and Nestle (N1.5 billion).
Top 5 Gainers
- Jaiz Bank — up 10.00% to N11.00
- Fidson — up 10.00% to N86.90
- NPF Microfinance Bank — up 10.00% to N6.27
- DeaP Capital — up 9.96% to N7.62
- Custodian Investment — up 9.94% to N70.25
Top 5 Losers
- Secure Electronic Technology — down 10.00% to N1.62
- Sovereign Trust Insurance — down 9.73% to N2.32
- Ellah Lakes — down 7.91% to N12.80
- Intenegins — down 5.56% to N3.40
- ABC Transport — down 5.26% to N9.00
SWOOTs and FUGAZ performance
Among the SWOOTs—stocks with market capitalization above N1 trillion—performance skewed bullish.
- Lafarge rose 8.25%, Nestle gained 6.9%, BUA Cement was up 3.45%, Nigerian Breweries advanced 2.5%, and Fidelity increased 0.99%.
- On the downside, International Breweries fell 1%, while Wema Bank declined 0.37%.
In the FUGAZ banking segment, sentiment remained mostly positive.
- First HoldCo gained 3.85%, UBA rose 2.08%, and GTCO increased 0.85%.
- On the flip side, Access Holdings fell 0.38%.
What to know
The Nigerian All-Share Index has breached the 194,000-mark, driven by bullish activity in large-cap stocks.
- Month-to-date in February, the Nigerian stock market is up 17.9%, with potential to outperform January’s full-month gain of 6.27%.
If the bullish momentum in heavyweight stocks continues, the index could soon test the 195,000 and 196,000 levels. However, it is currently overbought.
