Bearish sentiment dominated buying and selling on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) on Thursday, October 22, 2026, as fairness market capitalisation dropped by N103.60 billion in a single session.
The fairness market capitalisation closed decrease at N159.048 trillion, falling from N159.152 trillion recorded on Wednesday, October 21.
The benchmark NGX All-Share Index (ASI) slid by 159.55 factors (or 0.065%) to finish at 244,956.94 factors, marking its lowest degree of the week.
This single-day loss extends a broader weekly slide from Friday, October 16, when market capitalisation stood at N160.725 trillion and the ASI touched a week-high of 247,539.73 factors.
In phrases of complete market liquidity, traders traded 360,706,232 equities shares throughout 31,355 offers through the session.
Market abstract
- All-Share Index (ASI): 244,956.94 factors, down 0.065% from 245,116.49 factors
- Market cap: N159.048 trillion, down 0.065% from N159.152 trillion
- Market worth misplaced: N103.60 billion
- Trading quantity: 360.71 million shares, up 1.89% from 354.03 million shares
- Total offers: 31,355 offers, down 3.56% from 32,514 offers
Top 5 gainers
- AVA Capital Plc (AVACAP): Up 9.85% to N7.25 from N6.60
- PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc: Up 8.58% to N68.95 from N63.50
- Tantalizers Plc: Up 5.85% to N3.98 from N3.76
- International Energy Insurance Plc: Up 5.42% to N2.14 from N2.03
- VFD Group Plc: Up 3.59% to N13.00 from N12.55
Top 5 losers
- Thomas Wyatt Nigeria Plc: Down 10.00% to N2.52 from N2.80
- Austin Laz & Company Plc: Down 8.81% to N2.90 from N3.18
- Secure Electronic Technology Plc: Down 6.85% to N0.68 from N0.73
- UPDC Plc: Down 6.49% to N3.60 from N3.85
- Cornerstone Insurance Plc: Down 6.12% to N4.60 from N4.90
Driving the numbers
Index-level declines have been led by the NGX Banking Index (falling from 2,456.31 to 2,452.40), the NGX Insurance Index (1,053.31 to 1,047.65), the NGX Consumer Goods Index (4,024.83 to 4,012.84), the NGX Oil/Gas Index (6,197.74 to 6,191.20), and the NGX Main-Board Index (10,769.39 to 10,752.60).
At the person inventory degree, the downturn was pushed by adverse market breadth, as 22 declining equities outweighed 16 gainers.
Significant downward pressure originated from main monetary providers corporations, together with value drops in Zenith Bank Plc (-0.41%), Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (-0.33%), United Bank for Africa Plc (-0.24%), Wema Bank Plc (-3.33%), and trade operator Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (-4.69%).
These losses have been compounded by pullbacks in vitality benchmark Oando Plc (-4.17%) and actual property developer UPDC Plc (-6.49%).
Although choose stocks such as AVA Capital Plc (+9.85%) and PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc (+8.58%) superior, the collective sell-offs throughout fairness boards drove general buying and selling exercise to 360,706,232 shares throughout 31,355 offers, whereas listed debt securities recorded no value motion.
Sectoral efficiency
Sector efficiency throughout the Nigerian Exchange on October 22, 2026, was predominantly adverse, reflecting widespread pullbacks throughout main trade benchmarks.
The NGX Banking Index slipped from 2,456.31 factors on Wednesday to 2,452.40 factors, pushed by gentle declines in key monetary heavyweights, together with Zenith Bank Plc (-0.41%), Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (-0.33%), United Bank for Africa Plc (-0.24%), and Wema Bank Plc (-3.33%).
- The NGX Insurance Index retreated from 1,053.31 factors to 1,047.65 factors, below pressure from notable losses in Cornerstone Insurance Plc (-6.12%) and Veritas Kapital Assurance Plc (-5.26%).
- Meanwhile, the NGX Consumer Goods Index dropped from 4,024.83 factors to 4,012.84 factors, weighed down by sell-offs in International Breweries Plc (-4.74%) and Champion Breweries Plc (-2.00%), which offset a robust achieve in PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc (+8.58%).
- Additionally, the NGX Oil/Gas Index eased from 6,197.74 factors to 6,191.20 factors as Oando Plc dropped 4.17%, contributing to a broader decline within the NGX Main-Board Index to 10,752.60 factors from 10,769.39 factors.
- In distinction to the prevailing weak spot, choose sectoral and board benchmarks managed to shut in optimistic territory.
- The NGX Premium Index rose to 30,351.38 factors from 30,330.55 factors, aided by modest upticks in Access Holdings Plc (+2.49%) and Dangote Cement Plc (+0.20%).
Industrial and development segments additionally confirmed resilience, as the NGX Industrial Index edged up to 10,269.22 factors from 10,258.94 factors, and the NGX Growth Index climbed to 26,839.75 factors from 26,724.27 factors, supported by gainers such as The Initiates Plc (+2.92%).
Across non-equity devices, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) posted combined outcomes with prime good points recorded by Vetiva Industrial ETF (+4.81%) and Vetiva Banking ETF (+3.69%), whereas fixed-income exercise remained stagnant with the NGX Sovereign Bond Index holding flat at 661.50 factors amid zero value motion throughout debt securities.
