Equities shut Christmas week with N954bn acquire

Nigerian equities closed the Christmas-shortened buying and selling week on a optimistic word as improved investor sentiment lifted the market by N954bn, regardless of lowered buying and selling periods. The NGX All-Share Index and market capitalisation each appreciated, supported by good points in key large- and mid-cap shares, whereas buying and selling exercise moderated week-on-week as a result of holidays, TEMITOPE AINA writes

Buying and selling on the Nigerian Alternate Restricted was restricted to 3 periods through the week following the Federal Authorities’s declaration of Thursday, 25 December, and Friday, 26 December 2025, as public holidays to mark the Christmas celebration. Regardless of the shortened week, market sentiment remained largely bullish, reflecting sustained investor confidence forward of the year-end.

On the shut of buying and selling on Wednesday, 24 December, the All-Share Index rose by 0.97 per cent to settle at 153,539.83 factors, whereas market capitalisation appreciated by 0.98 per cent to N97.890tn from the earlier week’s shut. The good points had been supported by worth appreciation throughout a number of sectors of the market, outweighing losses recorded in a number of indices.

Market exercise, nevertheless, moderated in contrast with the earlier week, largely as a result of lowered variety of buying and selling days. A complete of two.876bn shares valued at N63.832bn had been traded in 80,229 offers through the week, in contrast with 9.849bn shares value N305.843bn exchanged in 126,584 offers within the previous week.

The monetary companies business dominated buying and selling exercise by quantity, accounting for 1.984bn shares valued at N32.680bn traded in 31,632 offers. This represented 68.99 per cent of the entire fairness turnover quantity and 51.20 per cent of the entire worth. The Funding Providers business adopted with 208.695m shares value N2.264bn in 640 offers, whereas the Conglomerates business ranked third with 147.002m shares valued at N6.085bn in 1,676 offers.

Buying and selling in three equities, Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc, VFD Group Plc and Custodian Funding Plc, led market exercise through the week. The trio accounted for a mixed turnover of 1.471bn shares valued at N14.684bn in 1,093 offers, contributing 51.15 per cent of the entire market quantity and 23.00 per cent of the entire worth traded.

A breakdown of each day buying and selling confirmed that on Monday, 22 December, buyers exchanged 451.485m shares valued at N13.003bn in 33,290 offers. On Tuesday, 23 December, turnover improved to 677.432m shares value N20.784bn in 27,576 offers. Buying and selling exercise peaked on Wednesday, 24 December, with 1.747bn shares valued at N30.045bn traded in 19,363 offers, reflecting elevated positioning forward of the vacation break.

Market breadth was optimistic, although barely weaker than the earlier week. Forty-four equities appreciated in worth, in contrast with 55 within the previous week. Thirty equities recorded worth declines, down from 36 beforehand, whereas 73 equities closed unchanged, larger than the 55 recorded within the prior week.

Sectoral efficiency was largely optimistic. All main indices closed larger apart from the Premium Index, Insurance coverage Index, MERI Development Index and Lotus II Index, which declined by 0.51 per cent, 2.13 per cent, 0.23 per cent and 0.62 per cent, respectively. The Oil and Gasoline Index and the Sovereign Bond Index closed flat for the week.

On the gainers’ chart, Aluminium Extrusion Industries Plc led with a 32.39 per cent improve, closing at N16.35. Austin Laz & Firm Plc adopted with a 32.23 per cent acquire to N3.20, whereas Worldwide Breweries Plc superior by 20.83 per cent to N14.50. Mecure Industries Plc rose by 18.55 per cent, First HoldCo Plc gained 17.91 per cent, and FTN Cocoa Processors Plc appreciated by 15.38 per cent. Different notable gainers included Worldwide Vitality Insurance coverage Plc, Ikeja Resort Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc and Eunisell Interlinked Plc.

Conversely, Legend Web Plc topped the decliners’ record, shedding 11.71 per cent to shut at N4.90. Champion Breweries Plc adopted with an 11.50 per cent loss, whereas NEM Insurance coverage Plc declined by 8.37 per cent. AXA Mansard Insurance coverage Plc, Related Bus Firm Plc, Ellah Lakes Plc, Status Assurance Plc, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Daar Communications Plc and Regency Assurance Plc additionally closed the week decrease.

Exercise within the Alternate Traded Merchandise section was subdued through the week. A complete of 586,286 items valued at N58.597m had been traded in 661 offers, in contrast with 130.300m items value N3.079bn transacted in 1,012 offers within the earlier week. Stanbic ETF 30 dominated the section by worth, whereas Vetiva exchange-traded funds recorded notable volumes.

Buying and selling in Federal Authorities bonds additionally declined week-on-week. Traders traded 32,952 items valued at N34.276m in 21 offers, in contrast with 108,736 items value N110.569m in 43 offers within the previous week. Essentially the most actively traded bond by worth was the FGSUK2033S6.

Within the company actions house, Nigerian Alternate Restricted introduced the itemizing of a further 2.348bn peculiar shares of fifty kobo every of Chams Holding Firm Plc on Tuesday, 23 December 2025. The extra shares arose from the corporate’s rights subject at N1.70 per share on the idea of 1 new share for each two peculiar shares held as of 16 June 2025. Following the itemizing, the corporate’s whole issued and totally paid-up shares elevated to 9.000bn.

Equally, NGX notified buying and selling licence holders of the activation of the code for buying and selling in Fidson Healthcare Plc’s rights subject. The rights, which opened on 19 December 2025, contain the provide of 600m peculiar shares of fifty kobo every at N35.00 per share on the idea of 1 new share for each 4 current shares held and can shut on 30 January 2026.

Total, the optimistic near the Christmas week underscores continued investor curiosity in Nigerian equities, even amid lowered buying and selling periods, as market contributors place for the ultimate stretch of the yr and expectations round company earnings and coverage route within the new yr.