The Nigerian equities market closed Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in positive territory, gaining 1,691.9 points to settle at 200,705.9 points, reflecting renewed investor interest.
The market’s rebound, led by a 10% gain in Airtel Africa, follows Monday’s close of 199,014.0 points, when it slipped below the 200,000-threshold.
The uptrend was supported by increased participation, with volume rising to 1.2 billion shares across 89,949 deals, compared to 848 million shares in the previous session.
Similarly, market capitalization rose to N128.8 trillion from N127.7 trillion, with GTCO leading trades as N19.3 billion worth of shares exchanged hands on Customs Street.
What the data is saying
Market sentiment strengthened on March 24, 2026, lifting the Nigerian market’s year-to-date return to 28.98% from 27.89% in the previous session.
- John Holt, Airtel Africa, Consolidated Hallmark, and Legend Internet led the gainers, each advancing by 10.00%.
- On the downside, profit-taking weighed on NPF Microfinance Bank and Royalex, which declined by 6.29% and 5.32%, respectively.
In terms of volume, Access Holdings recorded the highest activity with 266.7 million shares, followed by GTCO at 184.3 million and Wema Bank at 182.4 million shares.
- Similarly, UBA recorded 119 million shares traded, while Zenith Bank posted 42.7 million shares, reflecting sustained investor activity.
By market value, GTCO led with N19.3 billion, followed by MTN at N8.1 billion, Access Holdings at N6.02 billion, UBA at N5.7 billion, and Wema Bank at N4.7 billion.
Top 5 Gainers
- John Holt — up 10.00% to N14.30
- Airtel Africa — up 10.00% to N2,497.00
- Consolidated Hallmark — up 10.00% to N4.95
- Legend Internet — up 10.00% to N6.60
- Zichis Agro Allied — up 9.97% to N10.35
Top 5 Losers
- NPF Microfinance Bank — down 6.29% to N6.56
- Royalex — down 5.32% to N1.78
- CWG — down 4.82% to N20.75
- Nigerian Breweries — down 4.29% to N70.00
- Veritaskap — down 4.21% to N2.05
SWOOTs Performance
Among SWOOTs—stocks with market capitalizations above N1 trillion—performance was largely positive, with Airtel Africa up 10.00%, International Breweries rising 5.51% and Wema Bank advancing 1.53%.
On the flip side, MTN Nigeria slipped 1.11%.
FUGAZ Performance
Within the FUGAZ banking group, performance was mixed, as GTCO rose 5.71% and Access Holdings gained 0.39%.
On the flip side, First HoldCo fell 2.99%, UBA declined 1.03%, and Zenith Bank slipped 0.28%.
What you should know
The upward movement on March 24, 2026, marks a return of the equities market above the 200,000-threshold, signaling renewed bullish momentum.
- Market value was notably driven by GTCO, which gained 5.71% and recorded trades worth N19.3 billion, reflecting strong investor interest in the stock.
- If the bullish trend persists, the All-Share Index could retest levels above 202,000 in the near term, supported by sustained buying pressure.
