The Nigerian stock market opened on a positive note after the Independence Day break, with investors pocketing a ₦171 billion gain at the close of trading on Thursday.

According to trading data from the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), strong performances from stocks like PZ Cussons Nigeria, Eterna, Champion Breweries, Tantalizer, AIICO Insurance and 29 others lifted the market.

The market capitalisation, which stood at ₦90.580 trillion on Tuesday, rose by 0.19% to close at ₦90.751 trillion. Similarly, the All-Share Index (ASI) climbed by 268.98 points, ending the day at 142,979.46, compared to 142,710.48 before the holiday.

Market sentiment was upbeat, as the breadth closed positive with 34 gainers against 26 losers.

Top gainer: PZ Cussons Nigeria (+10%)

Top loser: RT Briscoe (-9.89%)

In terms of activity, Cornerstone Insurance dominated trading with a massive 5.45 billion shares valued at ₦25.1 billion exchanged. United Bank for Africa (UBA) followed with 152.14 million shares worth ₦6.5 billion.

The positive momentum reflects renewed investor confidence, driven by gains across consumer goods, financial services, and industrial stocks.