The Nigerian equities market wrapped up the first quarter of 2026 in the green, rising 29.35% with total trading volume exceeding 52 billion shares, reflecting strong investor participation.
Tracked by the All-Share Index, the market surged 45,674.8 points, climbing from an opening of 155,612.9 to close at 201,287.8, comfortably surpassing the 200,000-point milestone for the first time.
This marked the best quarterly performance since Q1 2024, when the market returned 39.8%, and represented a six-quarter winning streak after a red Q3 2024.
A closer look shows all three months in Q1 2026 ended positively, with February posting the strongest performance at 16.60%, making it the standout month for the quarter.
Although March’s 4.39% return was the lowest in the quarter, it demonstrated resilience, considering trading activity declined to just over 15 billion shares compared to over 21 billion in February.
Here are the top 10 stocks that led the performance table in Q1 2026, with Zichis Agro Allied excluded due to its mid-quarter listing and temporary trading suspension.
NCR (Nigeria) Plc held the 8th position among top-performing stocks in Q1 2026, soaring 173.73% with over 6 million units traded, and closed the quarter at N199.
- The ICT stock opened the quarter at N72.70 and leapt to N199 by January, surpassing N100 for the first time and nearly hitting N200, while February and March remained flat.
This surge built on momentum from Q4 2025, when the stock returned 354% to investors, driven by a turnaround from a nine-month pre-tax loss of N2.6 billion to a pre-tax profit of N237.9 million.
The recovery was fueled largely by strict cost management, especially administrative expenses, which fell from N2.9 billion in 2024—mainly due to foreign exchange losses—to just N91.7 million, likely drawing investor interest.
NCR currently carries a market capitalization of N21.4 billion and remains at N199 in April.
