Jaiz Bank Tops Trading Activity as Nigerian Stock Market Gains 0.18%
The Nigerian stock market closed on a positive note as investor interest in banking and financial stocks lifted the market, with Jaiz Bank emerging as the most actively traded stock by volume during the latest trading session. Activity on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) pushed the benchmark All-Share Index higher by 0.18 percent, reflecting a modest recovery in equities and renewed market confidence among investors.
At the close of trading, the NGX All-Share Index rose by 343.9 points to settle at 196,807.2 points, up from the previous session’s level, while total market capitalisation climbed to approximately ₦126.3 trillion, highlighting the overall value of companies listed on the exchange. The day’s gain translated into about ₦221 billion added to investors’ wealth, as bargain hunting in selected stocks helped the market rebound after earlier profit-taking pressure.
Trading activity, however, moderated compared with the previous session. Investors exchanged about 634 million shares during the day’s trading, lower than the 805.2 million shares recorded earlier, suggesting a more cautious approach by market participants as they reassessed positions across sectors. Despite the slower pace of transactions, demand remained strong for several banking and financial stocks, which helped sustain the market’s upward momentum.
Jaiz Bank led the activity chart with roughly 137.3 million shares traded, valued at about ₦1.4 billion, underscoring strong investor appetite for the non-interest banking institution. The stock’s heavy trading volume placed it ahead of several other actively traded counters on the exchange.
Other notable contributors to market activity included Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), which recorded about 45.5 million shares traded valued at ₦5.4 billion, making it the stock with the highest value of transactions for the day. Access Holdings also featured prominently with about 29.7 million shares exchanged, while Sovereign Trust Insurance and Zenith Bank recorded significant trading volumes as well.
Market analysts say the modest gain reflects continued investor positioning in fundamentally strong stocks, particularly within the banking sector, which has remained a key driver of liquidity on the Nigerian Exchange. The positive close suggests that investors are still actively seeking opportunities despite periodic volatility and profit-taking in the market.
Overall, the session reinforced the resilience of Nigeria’s equities market as it continues to attract capital inflows and sustain investor participation, with banking stocks once again playing a central role in driving market turnover and sentiment.
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