Nigerian stock market posts N234 bn gain after four days of N5.1 bn loss.

The Nigerian stock market finished the week on a positive note, with investors adding N234 billion on Friday after a four‑day decline that had cost the market N5.1 trillion in losses.

According to data released by the Nigerian Exchange Limited, market capitalisation increased by N234 billion, or 0.15 percent, from N155.359 trillion on Thursday to N155.593 trillion.

The All‑Share Index (ASI) rose 366 points, or 0.15 percent, ending the session at 242,593.31 compared with 242,227.31 the day before.

As a result, the market’s year‑to‑date return climbed to 55.90 percent.

Market breadth was positive, with 39 stocks posting gains against 11 losers, indicating stronger investor confidence.

On the gainers’ list, Abbey Mortgage Bank, International Energy Insurance and DAAR Communications each advanced 10 percent, closing at N9.35, N7.26 and N1.98, respectively.

On the downside, Academy Press fell 9.84 percent to N8.25, while University Press slipped 9.73 percent to N5.10. VFD Group dropped 7.59 percent to close at N10.35 per share.

Trading activity improved, with total volume up 3.40 percent to 608.49 million shares, worth N32.03 billion across 53,826 deals.

Abbey Mortgage Bank was the most heavily traded stock by volume, accounting for 164.08 million shares, or 26.97 percent of the total volume. Seplat led in value terms, with transactions worth N9.74 billion, representing 30.39 percent of the market’s total turnover.

Previously, investors lost N1.8 trillion on Thursday, and the period from Monday to Wednesday also saw significant losses.