The Nigerian stock market ended Thursday on a slightly positive note, rising 0.18 per cent to 196,807.2 points as the All-Share Index gained 343.9 points from the previous day’s close.
Trading activity slowed during the session, with 634 million shares changing hands compared to 805.2 million recorded on Wednesday, reflecting cautious positioning by investors.
Total market capitalisation of all listed companies on the Nigerian Exchange now stands at N126.3 trillion, approximately $80.7 billion, indicating the overall size and depth of the market.
Jaiz Bank recorded the most activity by volume, with 137.3 million shares exchanged during the trading day, leading the activity chart ahead of other heavily traded counters.
GTCO followed closely with 45.4 million shares and had the highest value traded for the day at N5.4 billion, underscoring sustained investor interest in the banking heavyweight.
Access Holdings rounded out the top three volume leaders with 29.7 million shares changing hands, contributing to the day’s total turnover.
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Buying interest lifted Eterna and NPF Microfinance Bank by 10 per cent each during the session, reflecting renewed appetite for selected mid-cap and small-cap stocks.
Profit-taking weighed on Triple Gee and Multiverse, which declined 9.94 per cent and 9.91 per cent respectively, as some investors moved to lock in gains from recent rallies.
Among SWOOTs, the exclusive group of stocks valued above N1 trillion, performance was mixed with Stanbic rising 5.56 per cent, MTN Nigeria gaining 0.63 per cent, and Dangote Cement edging up 0.01 per cent.
Wema Bank fell 2.7 per cent while Fidelity Bank dipped 1 per cent during the session, highlighting the selective nature of the day’s buying interest.
The slow price action and lower trading volumes indicate cautious trading as investors weigh their next move toward the psychologically important 200,000 threshold.
The stock market rise reflects selective buying interest amid an overbought technical position that may witness shallow retracement in upcoming sessions, according to market analysts.
