Nigerian Stock Market Climbs Higher as NGX Hits Fresh Record in Week Ended March 13, 2026

 The Nigerian stock market closed the trading week ended March 13, 2026, on a bullish note as investors sustained buying interest in key stocks across the market, amidst a slight slowdown in trading activity.

At the end of the week, the All-Share Index (ASI) advanced by 0.73%, gaining 1,439.15 points to close at 198,407.30 points, compared with 196,968.15 points recorded in the previous week.

Similarly, the market capitalization reflected the rising value of listed equities on the Nigerian Exchange Limited, closing the week at N127.36 trillion, up from N126.437 trillion in the previous week.

This performance pushed the Nigerian stock market to a new historic level above the 198,000 mark, reinforcing the positive momentum recorded in recent months. The rally was largely supported by sustained investor demand for fundamentally strong companies and blue-chip stocks, which continue to dominate trading on the exchange.

Although the headline index closed higher, trading activity on the exchange slowed slightly during the week. Total trading volume settled at 3.3 billion shares, compared with 3.6 billion shares traded in the previous week, indicating a mild decline in market participation.

This suggests that the market rally was largely driven by selective buying in high-quality stocks, rather than widespread participation across the broader market.

The NGX Premium Index, which tracks companies listed on the premium board of the exchange, recorded a 1.27% decline during the week. The drop reflects profit-taking activities in some large-capitalization stocks as investors locked in gains following previous market rallies.

In contrast, the NGX 30 Index, which measures the performance of the thirty most liquid and capitalized companies on the exchange, recorded a 0.80% gain, highlighting sustained investor interest in leading blue-chip companies.

Market Breadth Shows Mixed Sentiment

Market breadth during the week reflected mixed investor sentiment across the Nigerian equities market. A total of 34 equities recorded price appreciation, while 61 equities declined in value. Meanwhile, 53 equities closed the week unchanged, indicating that gains in the broader market were concentrated in a limited number of stocks.

Sectoral Performance

Sectoral performance during the week reflected varying investor sentiment across sectors of the market. The NGX Industrial Goods Index emerged as the best-performing sector, recording a 5.73% week-on-week gain. The rally was largely driven by strong price appreciation in BUA Cement Plc, whose shares surged by 20% during the week.

The NGX Oil and Gas Index also recorded a 1.50% gain, supported by strong performances in Conoil Plc, which surged by 20.95%, and Aradel Holdings Plc, which appreciated by 3.05%.

On the downside, the NGX Insurance Index declined by 4.59%, reflecting profit-taking across several insurance stocks. The NGX Banking Index also recorded a 1.04% drop, indicating a slight pullback in banking equities following earlier gains.

Market Highlights

ASI Weekly Close: 198,407.30 points
Month-on-month Change: 2.89%
Year-to-Date Return: 27.50 %
Market Capitalization: N127.361 trillion

Top Gainers

• Premier Paints Plc: up 32.88%
• Conoil Plc: up 20.95%
• BUA Cement Plc: up 20.00%
• Fidson Healthcare Plc: up 19.04%
• Omatek Ventures Plc: up 18.18%
• Nigerian Exchange Plc: up 16.93%

Top losers

• SCOA Nigeria Plc: down 34.06%
• Fortis Global Insurance Plc: down 20.81%
• Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc: down 20.68%
• Aluminium Extrusion Industries Plc: down 18.71%
• LivingTrust Mortgage Bank Plc: down 17.38%
• Learn Africa Plc: down 15.82%
• RT Briscoe Plc: down 13.76%

The performance recorded during the week ended March 13, 2026, highlights the continued resilience of the Nigerian stock market. Although trading activity slowed slightly, sustained demand for blue-chip and fundamentally strong stocks helped keep the market on an upward trajectory,