NGX weekly trading volume surges 127% to N176bn

NGX weekly trading volume surges 127% to N176bn

Trading activity on the nation’s bourse recorded a sharp increase in the week ended 14 August

2026, as investors exchanged 12.153bn shares valued at N176.058bn across 224,146 deals.

The performance represents a 126.8 per cent increase in traded volume compared with the 5.359bn shares worth N139.053bn exchanged in 261,869 deals in the previous week. Turnover value also increased 26.6 per cent, while the number of deals declined by about 14.4 per cent.

The increase in activity was also reflected in other trading indicators. Market depth improved to

27.76 per cent from 21.67 per cent in the previous week, while average daily value traded rose to

N35.21bn from N27.81bn.

Sectoral performance

The Financial Services Industry dominated market activity, accounting for 11.212bn shares valued at N88.991bn across 102,246 deals. The sector contributed 92.25 per cent of total equity turnover by volume and 50.55 per cent by value.

The Information and Communication Technology Industry followed with 246.127m shares worth N51.605bn traded in 27,169 deals, while the Services Industry ranked third with 198.195m shares valued at N1.995bn across 13,747 deals.

Activity was particularly concentrated in three equities: Fortis Global Insurance Plc, Cornerstone

Insurance Plc, and Consolidated Hallmark Holdings Plc. The trio accounted for 9.488bn shares

worth N36.219bn in 1,781 deals, representing 78.07 per cent of total equity turnover volume and

20.57 per cent of turnover value for the week.

The surge in market liquidity reflects ongoing portfolio rebalancing across the financial sector as institutional investors position themselves ahead of corporate earnings releases and capital restructuring initiatives across insurance and banking institutions.

The fixed-income segment also recorded increased activity, with investors trading 232,979 units valued at N226.258m in 35 deals, compared with 117,372 units worth N121.249m in the previous week. In the Exchange Traded Products segment, 2.346m units valued at N501.051m were traded across 5,291 deals.

Index moderation

Despite the surge in trading activity, the broader equities market closed lower as investors took profits following recent gains. The NGX All-Share Index declined 1.20 per cent to 242,619.20 points, while market capitalisation fell 1.19 per cent to N156.624tn.

Market breadth, however, showed some improvement. Twenty-six equities appreciated during the week, unchanged from the previous week, while the number of declining equities eased to 59 from

63. Sixty-two equities closed unchanged, compared with 58 in the preceding week.

The market breadth ratio consequently improved to 0.69x from 0.62x in the previous week, indicating a narrower gap between gainers and decliners despite the decline in the benchmark index.

Trans-Nationwide Express Plc led the gainers’ chart with a 32.09 per cent increase, followed by International Energy Insurance Plc, which advanced 31.68 per cent, and Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, which gained 13.77 per cent. On the other side, AVA Capital Plc topped the losers’ chart with a 34.55 per cent decline, followed by Unilever Nigeria Plc, down 18.94 per cent, and Zichis Agro Allied Industries Plc, which shed 15.08 per cent.

Market developments

Meanwhile, Lasaco Assurance Plc expanded its share capital following the listing of 9.236bn additional ordinary shares on the NGX Daily Official List on Wednesday, 12 August 2026.

The additional shares arose from the company’s rights issue of five new ordinary shares for every six existing shares held as of 20 February 2026. Following the listing, Lasaco Assurance’s issued and fully paid-up share capital increased from 11.084bn shares to 20.320bn ordinary shares of 50k each.

The expanded capital base comes as Nigerian insurers actively strengthen their balance sheets to meet regulatory compliance requirements set by the National Insurance Commission and enhance underwriting capacity across high-value risks.

Despite the week’s moderation, the broader market remains firmly positive for the year, with the

NGX All-Share Index recording a year-to-date return of 55.91 per cent as of 14 August.

Sectoral performance has been even stronger in key segments, with the NGX Oil and Gas Index up 94.81 per cent year-to-date, followed by the NGX Premium Index at 85.14 per cent and the NGX Industrial Goods Index at 82.84 per cent, underscoring the broader macroeconomic resilience driving Nigerian equities throughout 2026 despite short-term profit-taking cycles.

Source: https://punchng.com/ngx-weekly-trading-volume-surges-127-to-n176bn/