The Nigerian Exchange closed the week ended April 24, 2026, in positive territory, gaining 8,554.92 points to settle at 225,722.49 points and extending its strong upward momentum.
Tracked by the All-Share Index, this marks a weekly increase of 3.94% from the previous close of 217,167.57, as the index broke above the 220,000 level for the first time.
Market activity also improved, with total trades rising to 3.8 billion shares in 297,202 deals compared to 3.5 billion previously, while market capitalization reached N145.3 trillion.
Market breadth was mixed, as 46 equities advanced, fewer than 61 in the prior week, while 53 declined, higher than 36, and 47 stocks remained unchanged.
What the data is saying:
Year-to-date performance remains strong, with the index returning 45.05%, while month-to-date gains stand at 12.14%, reflecting sustained bullish momentum.
The market recorded five positive trading sessions during the week, with buying pressure strengthening toward the close as price action intensified and supported the overall upward movement.
- Trading opened Monday with a 0.4% gain, lifting the index above 218,000 points, and by Wednesday, it had crossed 219,000, advancing by 0.61%
- Momentum peaked on Thursday as the index crossed 220,000 for the first time, closing at 222,837 points before gaining 1.30% on Friday.
- The index ended the week at 225,722 points, reflecting growing investor confidence across major sectors of the market.
Across segments, the NGX Premium Index rose 5.91%, supported by gains in Lafarge Africa, First HoldCo, UBA, Zenith Bank, Dangote Cement, and Access Holdings, while NGX 30 gained 3.83% and the Main Board 2.79%.
Sectoral performance:
All sectors closed higher in the trading week ended April 24, 2026, led by the NGX Industrial Goods Index (up 7.70%), as Lafarge gained 21.36%, Dangote Cement rose 8.14%, and BUA Cement added 2.54%.
The NGX Banking Index advanced 6.81%, driven by First Holdco (17.19%), Ecobank (15.90%), Wema Bank (15.10%), UBA (14.58%), Fidelity Bank (11.22%), Zenith Bank (7.86%), Accesscorp (4.68%), FCMB (4.98%), GTCO (4.12%), and Sterling (2.55%).
In the consumer goods space, the NGX Consumer Goods Index climbed 5.25%, supported by gains in BUA Foods (7.93%) and Nigerian Breweries (2.26%), while Nascon Allied Industries, PZ Cussons, and Unilever ranked among the top advancers.
The NGX Oil and Gas Index rose 0.86%, while the NGX Insurance Index edged higher by 0.40%, rounding off a week of widespread gains across the market.
Top gainers
The top-performing stocks for the week were:
- UACN Plc: up 42.00% to N142.00
- Union Dicon Salt Plc: up 32.73% to N21.90
- Nascon Allied Industries Plc: up 32.63% to N206.90
- Trans-Nationwide Express Plc: up 30.58% to N7.90
- Zichis Agro Allied Industries Plc: up 25.71% to N15.60
- Chemical & Allied Industries Plc: up 24.74% to N118.50
- Lafarge Africa Plc: up 21.36% to N294.90
- PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc: up 18.81% to N92.20
- First HoldCo Plc: up 17.19% to N75.00
- Unilever Nigeria Plc: up 17.13% to N121.00
Top losers
The week’s worst-performing stocks included:
- Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank Plc: down 50.79% to N9.35
- Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc: down 33.33% to N5.40
- Guinea Insurance Plc: down 15.20% to N1.06
- Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc: down 13.82% to N162.50
- LivingTrust Mortgage Bank Plc: down 10.98% to N3.65
- Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc: down 10.14% to N1.95
- Transcorp Power Plc: down 9.97% to N272.70
- Meyer Plc: down 9.92% to N16.80
- Legend Internet Plc: down 9.60% to N5.65
- NPF Microfinance Bank Plc: down 9.48% to N5.25
Corporate actions overview
The week featured notable corporate disclosures across sectors:
- Stanbic IBTC and UBA published their full-year 2025 financial statements.
- Dangote Sugar announced plans to raise N500 billion in capital, subject to regulatory approval.
- UPDC REIT, Unilever, BUA Cement, Zichis, Berger Paints, Nigerian Breweries, Transcorp Hotels, Stanbic IBTC, and Transcorp released their Q1 2026 results.
- Wema Bank declared a final dividend worth N50.1 billion for FY2025.
United Capital approved an N18 billion dividend payout to shareholders for FY2025.
What you should know
Large-cap stocks, particularly in the banking and industrial goods sectors, led the rally, pushing the index to 225,722 points.
This marks the fourth consecutive week of gains since late March, when the index posted a marginal decline of 0.12%, signaling a sustained recovery in market sentiment.
The All-Share Index has maintained a 14-session winning streak so far.
If momentum in large-cap counters persists, the index could extend its advance and test levels above 226,000 in the near term.
