The Nigerian equities market closed the trading week ended 27 March 2026 on a slightly negative note, slipping 0.12% to settle at 200,913.06.
This reflects a decline of 243.80 points from the previous week’s 201,156.86, effectively bringing an end to a three-week winning streak.
Market activity softened, with total traded volume falling to 3.9 billion shares across 359,642 deals from 8.7 billion shares, while market capitalisation edged lower by 0.12% to N128.9 trillion.
Market breadth weakened slightly, as 47 equities advanced compared to 48 previously, while 45 declined from 43, and 56 equities remained unchanged during the week.
What the data is saying
Year-to-date data shows the index remains firmly positive, delivering a 29.11% return, with quarter-to-date performance tracking at the same level, reflecting sustained bullish momentum despite recent volatility.
During the week, the market recorded three positive trading sessions out of five, though early weakness set the tone as Monday opened with a sharp decline of 2,142.8 points, dragging the index to 199,014.
This was followed by a strong rebound on Tuesday, with a gain of 1,691.9 points, while the next two sessions also closed higher but lacked sufficient strength to reverse the overall weekly decline.
By Friday, mild profit-taking resurfaced as the index dipped marginally by 0.02%, ultimately settling at 200,913.1 and confirming a subdued close to the trading week.
- Across key segments, performance was mixed as the NGX Premium Index declined by 2.76%, dragged by losses in Zenith Bank, MTN Nigeria, First Holdco, UBA, and Lafarge.
- NGX 30 Index slipped 0.11% and the Main Board Index gained 1.53%.
Sectoral performance
The Banking Index recorded the steepest decline during the week, falling 2.47% as FCMB dropped 7.00%, Zenith Bank lost 6.36%, First Holdco fell 4.72%, UBA declined 4.21%, and Wema Bank shed 1.85%.
The NGX Consumer Goods and Industrial Goods indices also closed lower, declining by 0.91% and 0.15% respectively, indicating mild weakness across both sectors during the week.
- On the positive side, the NGX Insurance Index closed in the green, up 2.22%, driven by gains in Sovereign Trust up 9.22%, Sunu Assurance up 7.39%, AXA Mansard up 3.95%, Mutual Benefits up 3.08%, and Cornerstone Insurance up 3.80%.
- Additional support came from Consolidated Hallmark up 1.61%, NEM Insurance up 1.97%, Lasaco Assurance up 1.76%, and Coronation Insurance up 1.59%, reflecting broad-based buying interest in the sector.
Similarly, the NGX Oil and Gas Index advanced by 1.93%, supported by gains in Aradel up 4.11% and Oando up 2.86%, lifting overall sector performance.
Top gainers
The top-performing stocks for the week were:
- Zichis Agro-Allied Industries Plc: up 60.72% to N13.79
- Premier Paints Plc: up 60.26% to N37.50
- John Holt Plc: up 59.92% to N18.95
- Legend Internet Plc: up 25.00% to N7.50
- McNichols Plc: up 20.65% to N7.42
- Presco Plc: up 16.40% to N1,980.00
- Airtel Africa Plc: up 10.00% to N2,497.00
- Trans-Nationwide Express Plc: up 9.75% to N2.59
- Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc: up 9.70% to N158.95
- Eunisell Interlinked Plc: up 9.69% to N157.90
Top losers
The week’s worst-performing stocks included:
- Livestock Feeds Plc: down 11.73% to N7.15
- Fidson Healthcare Plc: down 9.97% to N94.85
- Cadbury Nigeria Plc: down 9.94% to N63.00
- Austin Laz & Company Plc: down 9.89% to N4.01
- Learn Africa Plc: down 9.09% to N8.50
- Eterna Plc: down 8.54% to N33.75
- Deap Capital Management Plc: down 7.75% to N5.95
- Omatek Ventures Plc: down 7.63% to N2.18
- Prestige Assurance Plc: down 7.27% to N1.53
- FCMB Group Plc: down 7.00% to N11.95
Corporate actions overview
The week saw notable corporate disclosures across sectors, reflecting both strategic moves and investor-focused updates in the market.
- NGX lifted Zichis Agro-Allied shares suspension following month-long scrutiny.
- Legend Internet and Spectranet announced a merger, targeting an N80 billion capital base.
- Unilever, SFS REIT, and CWG all released their audited financial statements.
- Guinea Insurance secured SEC approval for a N5.8 billion rights issue.
What you should know
The NGX Banking sector contributed the most to the weekly decline, with companies in the sector recording significant losses.
- A decline in weekly market volume to 3.9 billion units indicates softer activity compared to 8.7 billion units recorded in the prior week.
- The positive performance of the NGX Oil and Gas and Insurance sectors was not sufficient to lift the market into positive territory for the week.
