Nigeria's equities market extended its impressive run on Thursday, with investors pocketing N962 billion as shares climbed for a fifth straight session. The rally pushed the market capitalisation to N156.547 trillion, up 0.62 per cent from N155.585 trillion at the start of the day.
The All-Share Index jumped 1,498.75 points to close at 243,958.75, reflecting the broad-based strength across the market. Year-to-date returns have now reached 56.77 per cent, signalling robust investor appetite for equities.
Breadth data showed 29 gainers against 25 losers, demonstrating consistent confidence among market participants. International Breweries led the gainers, surging 10 per cent to N12.10 per share.
First HoldCo came in second among gainers with a 9.96 per cent climb to N69.55, while Abbey Mortgage Bank added 9.88 per cent to reach N8.90. Both stocks drew significant investor interest during the session.
On the flip side, power generation company Geregu dropped 10 per cent to N825.70 per share. Thomas Wyatt also fell 10 per cent, closing at N2.70.
Trading volumes exploded on Thursday, with investors exchanging 1.66 billion shares valued at N111.98 billion across 44,780 transactions. The volume surge of 219.47 per cent reflected heightened market activity.
First HoldCo dominated trading by capturing 75.98 per cent of the day's volume with 1.26 billion shares. The stock accounted for 76.47 per cent of total value traded at N85.61 billion.
The fifth consecutive day of gains marks a turning point for the Nigerian bourse. The market was recently named the world's best-performing equities market in dollar terms, posting a 68 per cent return.
