Trading activity on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) dipped sharply during the holiday-shortened week, with investors exchanging 2.876 billion shares worth ₦63.83 billion in 80,229 deals.
That performance was a steep decline from the previous week, when 9.849 billion shares valued at ₦305.84 billion were traded across 126,584 transactions.
Even with the slowdown in turnover, the market ended the week in positive territory. The NGX All-Share Index gained 0.97 per cent to close at 153,539.83 points, while market capitalisation rose 0.98 per cent to ₦97.89 trillion, suggesting renewed interest in select stocks.
Most sector indices finished the week higher, although some segments recorded losses. The NGX Premium, NGX Insurance, NGX MERI Growth and NGX Lotus II indices fell by 0.51 per cent, 2.13 per cent, 0.23 percent and 0.62 percent, respectively. The NGX Oil and Gas Index and the NGX Sovereign Bond Index closed flat, reflecting cautious sentiment in those areas.
The market traded for only three sessions during the week after the Federal Government declared Thursday, December 25, and Friday, December 26, 2025, as public holidays for Christmas. Analysts say the reduced trading window largely explains the lower volumes and transaction value recorded.
By sector, the financial services industry led market activity, accounting for 1.984 billion shares worth ₦32.68 billion traded in 31,632 deals. This represented 68.99 percent of total market volume and 51.20 percent of total value.
The investment industry followed with 208.695 million shares valued at ₦2.26 billion in 640 deals, while the conglomerates industry ranked third with 147.002 million shares worth ₦6.08 billion in 1,676 transactions.
Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc, VFD Group Plc and Custodian Investment Plc were the most actively traded stocks by volume. Together, the three equities recorded 1.471 billion shares valued at ₦14.68 billion in 1,093 deals, contributing 51.15 percent of the week’s total volume and 23.00 percent of overall value.
Market breadth remained positive but weaker than the prior week. Forty-four equities gained, down from fifty-five previously. Thirty equities declined, compared to thirty-six the week before, while seventy-three stocks closed unchanged, higher than the fifty-five recorded in the preceding week.
