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.
John Holt emerged as the 3rd top performer in Q1 2026, soaring 250% with over 46 million units traded, closing the quarter at N17.15.
- The power leasing and motor vehicle sales company recorded gains every month of the quarter, with March standing out, climbing 98.27% and driving the bulk of the quarterly surge.
The stock opened in January at N4.90, rose steadily to N7.30, edged to N8.65 in February, and then broke through the N10 mark in March, ultimately settling at N17.15.
On the final trading day of 2025, John Holt published its unaudited numbers for the financial year ended 30 September 2025, showing N1.4 billion in sales, down from N3.1 billion in 2024.
The company currently has a market capitalization of N6 billion and trades at N15.45 in April, down 9.91% month-to-date.
