Economy
Stocks Gain N330bn as Dividend Hunters Return to Market
By Dipo Olowookere
Nigerian stocks appreciated by 1.67 per cent on Thursday, which was the first trading session after the two-day public holiday to celebrate Sallah.
Investors returned to the market with renewed vigour and the declaration of an interim dividend of N4 by Total Nigeria was the trigger dividend hunters needed to spur bargain hunting.
At the close of transactions, the energy stock led the gainers’ chart of 22 members after its equity price rose by 10.00 per cent to settle at N184.80.
Cutix appreciated by 9.77 per cent to finish at N4.38, Oando gained 9.73 per cent to sell at N3.61, Dangote Cement improved by 7.83 per cent to N248.00, while Courtville jumped by 4.55 per cent to 23 kobo.
On the flip side, there were only a dozen equities on the losers’ chart with AIICO in charge after its value went down by 8.70 per cent to end at N1.05.
Sovereign Trust Insurance decreased by 6.45 per cent to 29 kobo, Veritas Kapital depreciated by 4.00 per cent to 24 kobo, Livestock Feeds lost 3.55 per cent to trade at N1.90, while Ardova declined by 3.23 per cent to N15.00.
Yesterday, investors traded 203.1 million shares worth N1.7 billion in 3,969 deals as against the 462.8 million shares worth N1.2 billion transacted in 3,610 deals on Monday, indicating that the trading volume dropped 56.11 per cent, while the trading value and the number of deals appreciated by 43.75 per cent and 9.94 per cent respectively.
At the close of business, Sterling Bank was the most active stock with 22.5 million units valued at N33.8 million, while United Capital followed with 16.9 million units valued at N115.1 million.
Fidelity Bank transacted 14.1 million shares worth N33.7 million, Wema Bank traded 14.0 million equities valued at N12.2 million, while GTCO traded 13.3 million stocks for N392.1 million.
During the session, Business Post observed that the industrial goods and energy sectors were the best performers, appreciated by 4.01 per cent and 3.11 per cent respectively.
Also, the banking and consumer goods counters appreciated by 0.31 per cent and 0.07 per cent respectively, while the insurance index depreciated by 1.88 per cent.
When trading activities were closed for the day, the All-Share Index (ASI) 632.87 points to 38,585.52 points from 37,952.65 points, while the market capitalisation increased by N330 billion to N20.104 trillion from N19.774 trillion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange decreased by 0.53 per cent on a week-on-week basis in Week 17 of the 2025 trading year.
This depleted the market capitalisation of the bourse by N10.14 billion in the four-day trading week to N1.914 trillion from the N1.924 trillion recorded in the previous week and the NASD Unlisted Securities Index (NSI) slid by 17.32 points to 3,269.06 points from the 3,286.38 points posted in Week 16.
There were only four trading days last week due to the Easter break stretching into the new week, though the market witnessed a higher turnover.
The volume of securities bought and sold by the market participants soared by 293,055.9 per cent to 3.9 billion units from the 1.33 million units recorded a week earlier, and the value of shares skyrocketed by 33,661.6 per cent to N9.9 billion from the N29.35 million achieved in the preceding week.
The most traded security by value for the week was Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (InfraCredit) Plc with N9.5 billion, Geo-Fluids Plc recorded N355.4 million, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc traded N7.2 million, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc transacted N3.8 million, and Afriland Properties Plc posted N2.5 million.
Also, InfraCredit Plc was the most traded instrument by volume with 3.7 billion units, Geo-Fluids Plc transacted 207.7 million units, UBN Property Plc recorded 1.04 million units, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc traded 0.201 million units, and CSCS Plc exchanged 0.178 million units.
Five securities ended on the losers’ table, with FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc leading after shedding 6.0 per cent to end at N35.37 per share compared with the previous week’s N37.64 per share.
Further, 11 Plc fell by 3.8 per cent to close at N236.25 per unit versus N245.50 per unit, UBN Property Plc lost 3.2 per cent to trade at N2.10 per share versus N2.17 per share, CSCS Plc declined by 1.8 per cent to N21.71 per unit from N22.10 per unit, and Afriland Properties Plc slumped by 0.1 per cent to N17.78 per share from N17.80 per share.
By Dipo Olowookere
A total of 1.854 billion shares worth N56.025 billion were transacted in 51,386 deals at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited last week compared with the 1.525 billion shares valued at N43.006 billion traded a week earlier in 51,156 deals.
The market was opened for business in the week for four days because of the public holiday observed last Monday for Easter.
In the week, the financial services sector led the activity chart with 1.266 billion stocks valued at N29.400 billion exchanged in 24,351 deals, contributing 68.28 per cent and 52.48 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
The ICT industry followed with 136.707 million stocks worth N12.472 billion in 2,974 deals, and the consumer goods space traded 118.617 million equities for N4.415 billion in 5,869 deals.
The trio of Fidelity Bank, Access Holdings, and GTCO accounted for 797.873 million shares worth N22.043 billion in 8,618 deals, contributing 43.03 per cent and 39.34 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
Business Post reports that 64 equities appreciated in the four-day trading week versus 31 equities in the previous week, 27 equities depreciated versus 44 equities in the previous week, and 57 equities remained unchanged versus 72 equities recorded in the previous week.
International Breweries topped the gainers’ log with a 40 per cent rise to settle at N7.70, NASCON appreciated by 26.22 per cent to N52.95, Africa Prudential expanded by 25.64 per cent to N17.15, Vitafoam Nigeria rose by 21.22 per cent to N44.85, and Ikeja Hotel jumped by 21.00 per cent to N12.10.
On the flip side, VFD Group topped the losers’ chart with a decline of 82.19 per cent to trade at N17.10, John Holt lost 18.60 per cent to finish at N6.30, Dangote Cement shed 10.00 per cent to close at N432.00, Tripple Gee crashed by 10.00 per cent to N1.98, and Haldane McCall depreciated by 9.96 per cent to N4.70.
The All-Share Index (ASI) and the market capitalisation appreciated by 1.46 per cent and 1.47 per cent each to close at 105,752.61 points and N66.465 trillion, respectively.
Similarly, all other indices finished higher apart from the premium, energy, industrial goods, growth and sovereign bond indices, which depreciated by 0.43 per cent, 0.07 per cent, 3.44 per cent, 0.41 per cent and 0.06 per cent, respectively.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has expressed its commitment to strengthening the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) ecosystem in Nigeria.
The Director-General of NECA, Mr Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, made the commitment while announcing the 2025 edition of the flagship MSMEs Fair scheduled to hold on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at NECA House, Alausa, Lagos.
Mr Oyerinde said MSMEs are the lifeblood of the economy, noting that the Fair is designed to empower them with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to thrive.
This year’s Fair will feature a keynote address by Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, CEO of FATE Foundation, a leading organization in enterprise development. Her address is expected to highlight innovative approaches to MSME sustainability and growth in Nigeria’s dynamic economy.
A major highlight of the fair will be the presence of key regulatory agencies, which will engage directly with entrepreneurs to address critical pain points around licensing, compliance, taxation, and business registration. This regulatory dialogue aims to demystify bureaucratic processes and promote a more enabling environment for enterprise development.
Themed Galvanizing MSMEs for Economic Growth and Stability, the event will bring together financiers, tech experts, regulators, and business leaders to offer practical insights, strategic guidance, and real-time business support to participants. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to exhibit their products and services, engage with potential investors, and connect with stakeholders across various sectors.
The fair will also feature exhibitions by entrepreneur across sectors, which will give them the opportunity to showcase their products and services to the public.
The programme offers entrepreneurs a platform to be enlightened on business development strategies, digital transformation, access to finance, and market expansion—equipping MSMEs with actionable knowledge for long-term success.
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