The Nigerian equities market reached a fresh high of 219,586.2 points on April 22, 2026, advancing by 1,336.4 points as gains in Transcorp Hotels and large-cap banking stocks drove momentum.
Tracked by the All-Share Index, the market rose by 0.61% from the previous close of 218,249.81, reflecting sustained buying interest and edging closer to the 220,000-threshold.
This performance came despite softer participation, with trading volume declining to 683.6 million shares across 51,694 deals, down from 842.4 million shares recorded in the prior session.
Market capitalization increased to N141.3 trillion from N140.5 trillion, with five equities triggering the NGX daily 10% gain limit, reflecting broad-based investor confidence.
What the data is saying:
Trading sentiment remained broadly positive on April 22, 2026, supported by sustained buy pressure, as the Nigerian equities market maintained a strong year-to-date return of 41.1%.
- Chemical & Allied Products, Transcorp Hotels, Vitafoam, UACN, and Trans Nationwide Express topped the gainers’ chart, each advancing by a maximum 10.00% during the session.
At the same time, profit-taking emerged, with Neimeth and Abbey Mortgage Bank declining by 10.00% and 9.85% respectively, despite the overall positive market tone.
- First Holdco led trading activity with 76.6 million shares, followed by UBA at 55.2 million and Access Holdings at 52.4 million shares, while GTCO and JaPaul Gold recorded 37.3 million and 30.1 million shares, respectively.
On the value side, First Holdco also led with N5.7 billion, trailed by GTCO at N4.8 billion and UBA at N2.8 billion, while Zenith Bank and Aradel recorded N2.6 billion and N2.4 billion respectively.
Top 5 Gainers
- Chemical & Allied Products — up 10.00% to N110.00
- Trans Nationwide Express — up 10.00% to N7.92
- UACN — up 10.00% to N121.00
- Vita Foam — up 10.00% to N143.00
- Transcorp Hotels — up 10.00% to N223.30
Top 5 Losers
- Neimeth — down 10.00% to N9.00
- Abbey Mortgage Bank — down 9.85% to N5.95
- LivingTrust — down 8.94% to N3.36
- ABC Transport — down 8.65% to N5.70
- Halldane McCall — down 6.23% to N3.61
Stocks Worth Over One Trillion (SWOOTS)
Among SWOOTS, Transcorp Hotels surged by 10.00% to lead gains, while Lafarge recorded a modest 0.73% increase.
On the flip side, Wema Bank declined by 2.14% during the session.
FUGAZ performance
FUGAZ stocks closed mixed, with First Holdco leading the pack with an 8.45% gain, followed by UBA at 5.98%, Access Holdings at 3.51%, and Zenith Bank at 1.97%.
GTCO closed flat.
What you should know
Despite softer trading activity, gains in large-cap stocks were sufficient to keep the index in positive territory, led by Transcorp Hotels and major banking counters.
At 219,586.2 points, the index reached its highest level ever on a daily timeframe, marking another milestone in the market’s ongoing rally.
While the market appears technically overbought above the 219,000 level, sustained strength in large-cap names could still push the index toward the 220,000 mark.
Access Holdings added 3.51% not Access Holdings shed 3.51%