Top stocks for the week emerged as strong winners, while the broader market told a mixed story.
The week began with momentum, but it faded quickly.
By Friday, the Nigerian equities market slipped slightly, ending the week on March 27, 2026 with a 0.12% decline.
Market Closes Lower Despite Early Gains
The All-Share Index closed at 200,913.06, as it lost 243.80 points.
This outcome marked the end of a three-week rally that had lifted investor sentiment.
Market participants traded less actively as the week progressed.
Volume dropped to 3.9 billion shares, compared with 8.7 billion previously.
At the same time, deals declined, and market capitalisation eased to ₦128.9 trillion.
Even so, the market still recorded a 29.11% year-to-date gain, which signals strong underlying strength.
Mixed Sector Performance Across The Board
The week unfolded as a tug-of-war between buyers and sellers.
First, Monday delivered a sharp fall of 2,142.8 points.
Consequently, the index dropped below 200,000.
Next, Tuesday brought a strong rebound as investors re-entered the market.
Then, gains continued midweek, although they lacked strength.
Finally, profit-taking emerged on Friday and pushed the index slightly lower.
Sector performance showed mixed results.
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Banking stocks dragged the market down, as the NGX Banking Index fell by 2.47%.
Notably, Zenith Bank, UBA, First Holdco, FCMB, and Wema Bank all declined.
Similarly, the NGX Premium Index fell by 2.76%.
In contrast, the NGX Main Board Index rose by 1.53%, which showed resilience.
Meanwhile, consumer and industrial sectors posted mild losses.
The NGX Consumer Goods Index fell by 0.91%, while the NGX Industrial Goods Index slipped by 0.15%.
However, the insurance sector stood out and delivered gains of 2.22%.
Stocks such as Sovereign Trust, Sunu Assurance, AXA Mansard, and Cornerstone Insurance drove this performance.
In addition, the oil and gas sector advanced by 1.93%, as Aradel and Oando led gains.
Top stocks, Laggards, And Corporate News
Top stocks for the week included Zichis Agro-Allied, which surged strongly, followed by Premier Paints and John Holt.
In addition, Legend Internet, McNichols, Presco, and Airtel Africa recorded solid gains.
On the other hand, some stocks declined sharply.
Livestock Feeds led the losses, while Fidson Healthcare and Cadbury Nigeria followed.
Furthermore, Eterna and FCMB Group also dropped.
Corporate news influenced sentiment across the market.
First, NGX lifted the suspension on Zichis Agro-Allied.
Next, Legend Internet and Spectranet announced a merger.
Meanwhile, Unilever, SFS REIT, and CWG released their results.
Finally, Guinea Insurance secured approval for a rights issue.
Although the market ended lower, it still maintained a stable outlook, supported by strong year-to-date gains.
