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.
Deap Capital Management & Trust took the 6th spot among Q1 2026’s top performers, soaring 200% with over 793 million units traded, closing the quarter at N5.70.
- The mining finance firm saw January as its standout month, rising from N1.90 to N9.40—a 394.2% jump—before declines in February and March trimmed the price to N5.70.
Momentum picked up mid-January after the company signed a MoU with Banklink Africa Equity Fund II to support mineral and metal projects across Africa, likely boosting investor confidence. A month later, Deap Capital received N1 billion in fresh capital from Banklink Africa.
The company currently has a market capitalization of N9 billion and trades around N6 in April, up 5.44% month-to-date.
