JUST IN: NGX Equity Market Hits Record N164.97 Trillion As ASI Reaches All-Time High [DETAILS]
Trading activity on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) closed on a record-breaking note for the session ending October 29, 2026, as the total market capitalisation of listed equities surged to an all-time high of N164.97 trillion.
The benchmark NGX All-Share Index (ASI) mirrored this bullish momentum, gaining 1,200.24 points (0.47%) in a single day to close at a record 254,083.02 points, up from Wednesday’s closing level of 252,882.78 points.
In monetary terms, equity investors added N779.31 billion in net market value during Thursday’s session alone, reversing Wednesday’s slight pullback (N164.19 trillion) and surpassing the previous record of N164.91 trillion recorded on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
Market summary
- All-Share Index (ASI): 254,083.02 points, up 0.47% from 252,882.78 points
- Market cap: N164.97 trillion, up 0.47% from N164.19 trillion
- Market value gained: N779.31 billion
- Trading volume: 654.14 million shares, up 61.88% from 404.08 million shares
- Total deals: 35,789 deals, down 8.16% from 38,970 deals
Top 5 gainers
- ETRANZACT: Up 10.00% to N17.60 from N16.00
- SOVRENINS: Up 9.60% to N2.17 from N1.98
- FTGINSURE: Up 9.38% to N1.75 from N1.60
- MCNICHOLS: Up 9.18% to N5.35 from N4.90
- ZICHIS: Up 8.24% to N18.40 from N17.00
Top 5 losers
- FIRSTHOLDCO: Down 10.00% to N125.55 from N139.50
- LIVESTOCK: Down 9.70% to N12.10 from N13.40
- TANTALIZER: Down 8.40% to N3.60 from N3.93
- CILEASING: Down 7.41% to N5.00 from N5.40
- REGALINS: Down 7.35% to N0.63 from N0.68
Driving the numbers
The primary catalyst driving these record numbers was intense buying demand in industrial heavyweights alongside maximum percentage gains across selective mid-cap stocks.
This industrial surge effectively absorbed profit-taking pressures in the financial sector, where First Holdco PLC dropped 10.00% to N125.55 on massive trading volume (343.8 million shares traded) and pulled the NGX Banking Index down 2.10% to 2,461.21 points.
Sectoral performance
Sectoral performance across the Nigerian Exchange on October 29, 2026, was anchored by a sharp advance in industrial heavyweights and select growth sectors.
- The NGX Industrial Index emerged as the session’s top outperformer, surging 3.41% (or 401.85 points) from 11,797.62 to 12,199.47 points, energized primarily by strong buying momentum in large-cap building material stocks.
- Broader market sentiment across top-tier listings remained firmly positive as the NGX Premium Index advanced 1.01% to close at 33,374.25 points (up from 33,039.39 points).
- Sharia-compliant and emerging corporate boards also posted healthy expansions, with the NGX Lotus Islamic Index gaining 1.20% to finish at 24,087.12 points and the NGX Growth Index rising 0.98% to 27,158.78 points, while the NGX Insurance Index ticked up 0.75% to 1,037.04 points.
Conversely, financial services and governance-tracked equities faced targeted profit-taking that constrained further market-wide gains.
The NGX Banking Index declined 2.10% from 2,513.96 to 2,461.21 points, dragged down by a 10.00% drawdown in First Holdco PLC to N125.55 alongside mild pullbacks in tier-1 lenders such as United Bank for Africa PLC (-0.23%) and Guaranty Trust Holding Company PLC (-0.08%). In tandem, the NGX Corporate Governance (CG) Index shed 1.46% to close at 7,155.12 points.
Other key economic segments experienced muted trading activity, with the NGX Consumer Goods Index slipping 0.06% to 4,016.66 points and the NGX Oil/Gas Index edging up marginally by 0.05% to 6,089.25 points.
