STOCK MARKET GAINS 2.36% IN FIRST SEPTEMBER WEEK

The Nigerian Exchange closed the first trading week of September on a positive note, with the benchmark All-Share Index rising 2.36 per cent as strong investor demand lifted activity across several sectors.

The index increased from 241,298.47 points at the end of the previous week to 246,992.44 points. Market capitalisation also grew by 2.40 per cent to N159.559tn during the five-day trading period.

Trading activity increased significantly, with 4.36 billion shares valued at N210.33bn exchanged in 223,284 deals, compared with 2.51 billion shares worth N123.22bn traded in the previous week.

The market’s year-to-date performance also remained strong, with the All-Share Index gaining 58.72 per cent since the beginning of 2026. The NGX 30 Index has also risen by 60.02 per cent over the same period.

Financial stocks remained the most actively traded, accounting for 82.1 per cent of total trading volume. Banking and insurance stocks have also recorded strong gains this year, supported partly by recapitalisation activities across the financial sector.

The NGX Oil and Gas Index recorded the biggest weekly sector gain, rising 9.10 per cent, while the insurance and banking indices gained 3.85 per cent and 3.58 per cent respectively.

The performance reflects continued investor confidence in Nigerian equities, although analysts are expected to monitor whether the rally can be sustained amid changing economic conditions.