The Nigerian equities market delivered an outstanding performance in April 2026, with total market capitalization rising to N155.9 trillion as the market returned 20.36% over the month.
Opening at 201,287.9 points, as tracked by the All-Share Index, the market advanced on strong trading activity exceeding 16 billion units to close at a record 242,277.8 points.
The rally was driven by solid participation across mid- and large-cap stocks, with April’s traded volume second only to February’s 21 billion units, while surpassing its 16.6% return.
A defining feature of April’s performance was the strong showing of large-cap, trillion-naira companies among top gainers, in contrast to March when mid-cap stocks dominated the top 10.
The market has now sustained a five-month winning streak since December 2025, pushing first-half returns to 55.69% and nearing the 64.51% achieved in the second half of 2020.
Among the stocks that powered the rally, several equities stood out, earning spots among the top 10 best-performing companies for the month.
UAC of Nigeria Plc secured the second spot on the April 2026 leaderboard, delivering an 83.33% return on the Nigerian Exchange with over 40 million shares traded.
- It began the month at N99 per share, moving gradually at first before sentiment shifted decisively toward the end of the period.
- By the third week, the stock had powered through the N115 resistance level, closing at N142 as momentum started to build more intensely.
- That rally strengthened further in the final trading week, lifting the price sharply to N181.50, which also marked its monthly peak.
From a financial perspective, FY2025 pre-tax profit eased to N16.4 billion from N25.5 billion, though the company lifted its dividend to N1 per share from N0.2 previously.
In contrast, Q1 2026 showed a rebound in profitability, with pre-tax profit rising to N22.5 billion from N5.04 billion year-on-year and revenue at N191.2 billion, while year-to-date gains reached 108.79% at N190 per share.
