October 4, (THEWILL) – Trading activities on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) closed on a softer note last week as investors traded for four sessions following the Federal Government’s declaration of Thursday, October 1, 2026, as a public holiday to mark Nigeria’s Independence Day celebration.
A total of 3.166 billion shares valued at N155.023 billion exchanged hands across the Exchange during the week, representing a decline from the 4.689 billion shares worth N240.824 billion recorded in the previous week.
The week-on-week performance translated to a 32.48 percent decline in trading volume and a 35.63 percent drop in the value of transactions, reflecting reduced activity during the shortened trading week.
The Financial Services Industry continued to dominate trading activity, accounting for 1.944 billion shares valued at N77.733 billion. The sector contributed 61.41 percent of the total equity turnover volume and 50.14 percent of the total turnover value during the week.
The Investment Industry followed with 409.484 million shares worth N5.400 billion, while the ICT Industry recorded 231.705 million shares valued at N9.606 billion.
At the individual equity level, Fidelity Bank Plc, VFD Group Plc and Access Holdings Plc emerged as the three most actively traded stocks by volume. The three equities collectively accounted for 1.343 billion shares valued at N27.580 billion, representing 42.42 percent of total equity turnover volume and 17.79 percent of turnover value for the week.
Pricing Session
The equities market closed the week in negative territory, with the NGX All-Share Index (ASI) declining by 0.52 percent to close at 250,808.27 points.
Similarly, the market capitalisation shed 0.50 percent to close at N162.843 trillion, indicating a weaker valuation of listed equities at the end of the week.
The decline in the benchmark performance came despite gains recorded across some sectoral indices. The NGX Growth Index led the gainers, appreciating by 1.85 percent, while the NGX Insurance Index rose by 0.61 percent.
The NGX Oil & Gas Index also gained 0.05 percent, while the NGX Main Board Index appreciated marginally by 0.08 percent. The NGX Commodity Index closed flat, while all other sectoral indices recorded declines during the week.
Market breadth weakened compared with the previous week, as the number of advancing equities fell to 44 from 61, while decliners increased to 37 from 32. A total of 65 equities remained unchanged, compared with 63 equities in the previous week.
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Top Gainers
- ABC Transport Plc gained 45.10 percent (N5.10 to N7.40)
- Critical Minerals Financing Corp Plc climbed up by 37.73 percent (N3.26 to N4.49)
- Livingtrust Mortgage Bank Plc added 32.69 percent (N2.60 to N3.45)
- VFD Group Plc 18.42 percent (N11.40 to N13.50)
- CWG Plc advanced 15.28 percent (N18.00 to N20.75)
Top Decliners
- Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc fell by -12.50 percent (N2.40 to N2.10)
- E-Tranzact International Plc recorded a decline of -12.00 percent (N12.50 to N11.00)
- Learn Africa Plc plunged by -11.05 percent (N8.60 to N7.65)
- PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc -10.03 percent (N73.80 to N66.40)
- Fortis Global Insurance Plc lost -9.50 percent (N2.00 to N1.81)
Bonds
Trading in the bond segment also weakened during the week, with 81,063 units valued at N85.606 million changing hands, compared with 180,459 units valued at N179.624 million in the previous week.
Overall, the NGX recorded lower trading activity during the shortened week, with both equity turnover and the benchmark index declining from the previous week. While some sectors and individual equities posted notable gains, the broader market closed lower, with fewer gainers and more decliners pointing to a softer market breadth.
Ogochukwu Onwaeze is a writer specializing in business and economic journalism. At THEWILL News Media, she translates market trends, financial developments, and policy shifts into clear and engaging stories.
