Nigeria’s stock market rebounded on March 12, 2026, as gains in heavyweight stocks such as Transcorp Hotels and BUA Cement pushed the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) higher, adding about ₦600 billion to total market capitalisation.
Nairametrics The All-Share Index (ASI) advanced by 1,010.2 points, representing a 0.52% increase, to close at 196,908.7 points, up from the previous session’s 195,898.5 points. The rise signals renewed buying interest among investors after recent market fluctuations.
Equities market capitalisation also climbed from ₦125.7 trillion to ₦126.3 trillion, reflecting the strong performance of large-capitalisation stocks during the trading session.
The rally was led by Transcorp Hotels, which gained over 7%, while BUA Cement rose by about 5%, reinforcing their influence among the exchange’s most capitalised companies.
Other large-cap stocks that posted moderate gains included International Breweries, MTN Nigeria, Lafarge, and BUA Foods, though Stanbic IBTC recorded a decline.
Market activity, however, weakened despite the bullish close. Trading volume dropped to 549 million shares, compared with 671 million shares recorded in the previous session, indicating reduced participation by investors.
Among the day’s top gainers were FTN Cocoa and Fidson, which rose by 10.00% and 9.97% respectively, while Eterna and Omatek Ventures topped the losers’ chart after both declined by 10% due to profit-taking.
In terms of trading value, Dangote Cement led the market with ₦20.6 billion worth of transactions, followed by Aradel, Zenith Bank, GTCO, and Presco, highlighting where the bulk of investor interest was concentrated.
Analysts note that although large-cap buying helped drive the market upward, the exchange may experience a short-term pullback as the market currently appears technically overbought, even as bullish sentiment persists.
Source: Nairametrics
