Kelechukwu Mgboji 
The Nigerian equities market broke its winning streak as a bearish sentiment overshadowed Tuesday’s trading session with the benchmark All Share Index declining by 0.2 per cent while the market capitalisation lost N152.09 billion.
However, a cluster of five leading Tier-1 banks—FBN Holdings (FBNH), Access Corporation, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), United Bank for Africa (UBA), and Zenith Bank— along with five other equities, accounted for a commanding 76.37 per cent of the total market value traded.
This translates to a significant N11.181 billion out of the N14.64 billion total transaction value. Despite strong trading activity in select stocks, selling pressures weighed heavily on the broader market.
Declines in Zenith Bank (-3.6%), UBA (-2.4%), Access Corporation (-1.0%), and Oando (-0.94%) offset modest gains recorded in GTCO (+1.42%) and FBNH (+2.08%).
Consequently, the benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) dipped 0.2 per cent to close at 103,398.82 points, eroding N152.09 billion from market capitalisation, which settled at ₦63.05 trillion.
The Year-to-Date (YTD) return moderated to +0.5 per cent. FBN Holdings emerged as the day’s most traded equity by both volume and value, with an impressive 161.46 million shares exchanged, worth N4.72 billion.
Access Corporation followed with trades valued at N1.202 billion, while GTCO rounded out the top three with N1.168 billion in trans – actions. Other major contributors included Oando (N984.25 million), Presco (N687.79 million), Transcorp (N598.53 million), Aradel (N580.49 million), UBA (N507.30 million), Airtel (N390.23 million), and Zenith Bank (N346.03 million).
Total market activity surged, with volume traded rising 29.9 per cent to 1.11 billion units, executed in 16,617 deals. Sectoral indices, however, painted a mixed picture.
Losses were recorded in the Insurance (-7.7%), Banking (-0.6%), Consumer Goods (-0.4%), and Oil & Gas (-0.1%) sectors, while the Industrial Goods index remained unchanged. Market breadth skewed negative, with 49 stocks declining versus 19 gainers.
FTN Cocoa and Veritas Kapital Assurance recorded the steepest losses, each shedding 10.0 per cent, while Abbey Mortgage Bank surged 10.0 per cent to lead the gainers, followed closely by PZ Cussons, which climbed 9.5 per cent.
As investors recalibrate their portfolios, attention remains firmly fixed on the resilience of top-traded equities, signaling sustained confidence in blue-chip names amid volatile market conditions.
