The Nigerian equities market maintained its upward trajectory on Wednesday, closing with a marginal gain as the benchmark index advanced by 4 basis points.
This steady performance has pushed the year-to-date return to an impressive 62.27%, underscoring the sustained recovery and growth within the domestic capital market.
Investor participation remained robust throughout the trading session, characterized by a 21.40% surge in trading volume, which reached 1.77 billion shares.
The total value of trades also followed this positive trend, edging higher by 22.16% to settle at ₦100.24 billion. These figures reflect a high level of liquidity and continued confidence from both institutional and retail investors.
Market breadth closed firmly in the positive zone, with 44 stocks recording price appreciation against 32 decliners.
This ratio indicates a resilient bullish sentiment that has managed to permeate several counters despite broader economic pressures.
From a sectoral perspective, the banking sector retained its position as the most active segment of the market for the third consecutive session this week, leading in both trade volume and value.
However, the insurance sector stole the spotlight in terms of price performance, emerging as the day’s top gainer with a 0.68% increase.
While the oil and gas sector witnessed a slight pullback during the session, it remains the market’s standout performer for the year, boasting a massive year-to-date return of 125.29%.
Individual stock performances saw DAARCOMM and CWG lead the gainers’ chart, while NCR and ZICHIS featured prominently on the laggards’ list.