The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX) opened the new trading week on a slightly negative note, shedding ₦8 billion in market value on Monday, May 20, 2025, despite improvements in trading activity.
The All-Share Index (ASI) closed at 109,697.83 points, dropping marginally by 12.54 points or 0.01 per cent. Market capitalisation slipped to ₦69 trillion, down from ₦69.008 trillion recorded at the close of trading on Friday, May 16.
However, the market retained a broadly positive trend on a longer time frame. The ASI posted a one-week gain of 1.33 per cent, a four-week gain of 5.63 per cent, and a year-to-date return of 6.58 per cent, reflecting investor confidence despite short-term fluctuations.
Trading activity showed strong growth, with a total of 486.1 million shares traded across 24,883 deals, valued at ₦11.38 billion. This marked a 13 per cent increase in volume, a 32 per cent rise in turnover, and a 52 per cent surge in the number of deals compared to the previous session.
A total of 127 listed equities participated in Monday’s session, with 46 gainers and 23 losers. Ikeja Hotel Plc led the gainers’ chart with a 10 per cent increase to close at ₦15.40 per share. Tantalizers Plc also gained 10 per cent, followed by Beta Glass Plc with a 9.98 per cent gain, and Northern Nigeria Flour Mills Plc, which appreciated by 9.97 per cent.
On the downside, The Initiates Plc topped the list of losers, declining by 10 per cent to ₦6.12 per share. Other notable laggards were Associated Bus Company Plc (-9.83%), University Press Plc (-9.77%), and FTN Cocoa Processors Plc (-9.65%).
In terms of volume, Access Holdings Plc dominated trading with 45.1 million shares traded. It was followed by Fidelity Bank Plc with 39.4 million shares, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc with 32.4 million shares, and Cutix Plc with 24.1 million shares.
Other market indices posted mixed results. The NGX Top 30 Index dipped by 0.06 per cent but rose by 1.22 per cent on a weekly basis. The Consumer Goods Index performed strongly, up 1.55 per cent, while the NGX Insurance Index and Main Board Index rose by 0.56 per cent and 0.24 per cent, respectively. On the other hand, the Oil and Gas Index and Industrial Index saw declines of 0.19 per cent and 0.17 per cent, respectively.
Despite Monday’s slight drop, last week ended positively for the equities market. Investors gained a total of ₦614 billion as the All-Share Index rose by 0.90 per cent to close at 109,710.37 points, while market capitalisation stood at ₦68.953 trillion.
