Nigerian stocks add N140.55bn as NGX ASI rises 0.09%

Nigerian stocks gained about N140.55 billion on Friday, October 30, 2026, as the NGX All-Share Index rose 0.09% to close at 254,299.49 points from 254,083.02 points in the previous session. The gain lifted the market's year-to-date return to 63.42%, even as 32 equities closed lower against 25 gainers.

Market capitalisation increased by approximately N140.55 billion. Trading volume rose 52.47% to 997.57 million shares valued at N85.81 billion across 37,870 deals.

Honeywell, May & Baker lead gainers

Honeywell Flour Mills and May & Baker led the gainers, each rising 10%. Honeywell Flour Mills Plc gained 10% to N22.55 from N20.50. May & Baker Nigeria Plc rose 10% to N41.80 from N38.00.

Eterna Plc advanced 9.90%. PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc increased 9.85%. Fidelity Bank Plc gained 9.09%. Wema Bank rose 3.23%, MTN Nigeria advanced 3.03%, and Custodian Investment gained 0.46%.

Caverton, LivingTrust top losers

Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc dropped 10% to N3.60 from N4.00. LivingTrust Mortgage Bank Plc declined 9.94% to N2.90 from N3.22. Veritas Kapital Assurance Plc lost 9.91% to N1.00 from N1.11.

UPDC Plc fell 9.46% to N3.35 from N3.70. Zichis Agro-Allied Industries Plc declined 9.46% to N16.66 from N18.40. Veritas Kapital touched its 52-week low of N1.00, while Caverton traded below its previous 52-week low of N3.65.

First HoldCo dominates trades

First HoldCo Plc dominated transactions with 580.36 million shares, representing 58.18% of the day's total trading volume. The bank also recorded the highest traded value at N66.55 billion, representing 77.56% of total transaction value.

Fidelity Bank followed with 51.47 million shares traded. Guaranty Trust Holding Company recorded 36.54 million shares. Sovereign Trust Insurance traded 22.70 million shares, while AIICO Insurance traded 17.09 million shares.

The market closed positive despite negative breadth, with 25 stocks advancing and 32 declining. The session extended the previous day's gains, helped by renewed buying interest in heavyweight stocks.

For investors, the day's gain was narrow, with First HoldCo accounting for most of the value traded and a handful of names driving the index. The split between the index gain and the higher number of losers shows that the market's positive close was not broad-based.