The Nigerian Exchange closed higher as renewed buying interest in key stocks pushed the market further into positive territory.
The All Share Index gained 0.56 per cent, adding 934.62 points to settle at 166,771.95 points, while total market value increased by about N599 billion to N106.78 trillion.
Trading sentiment was upbeat, driven by price appreciation in several large and mid capitalised stocks, including Seplat Energy, Aradel Holdings, NCR Nigeria, MeCure Industries and Multiverse Mining and Exploration. The gains outweighed losses across the market, with 47 stocks advancing against 28 decliners.
Academy Press led the gainers with a 10 per cent rise to N8.25, closely followed by NCR Nigeria, which climbed almost 10 per cent to close at N106.30.
Tripple Gee and Company, Tantalizers, DEAP Capital Management and Trust, eTranzact International, McNichols and Multiverse Mining and Exploration also recorded strong price increases during the session.
On the losing side, May and Baker topped the decliners list after shedding nearly 10 per cent to close at N28.55. Wapic Insurance, Livestock Feeds, PZ Cussons Nigeria and Eterna also closed lower.
Despite the positive close, trading activity slowed. Total volume exchanged dropped by over 32 per cent to about 761.9 million shares valued at N29.85 billion across 55,751 deals.
Access Holdings recorded the highest volume of trades, followed by Lasaco Assurance, Veritas Kapital Assurance, Tantalizers and DEAP Capital Management and Trust.
The market’s performance reflects continued investor interest, even as overall trading volumes moderated.
