Nigerian Stocks Tumble as Market Sheds Over 2,100 Points

The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) closed lower on Monday, August 19, 2025, as the market shed 2,109.03 points, extending its bearish trend amid heavy sell-offs in large-cap stocks.

The benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) fell by 1.46% to close at 142,613.47, compared with 144,722.50 recorded at the previous session. Market capitalization also slipped below the ?91 trillion mark, settling at ?90.2 trillion.

Market Performance

Daily activity weakened, with investors exchanging 1.02 billion shares, slightly below the 1.05 billion shares traded a day earlier, across 34,352 deals. Despite the decline, the market’s year-to-date return remains positive at +38.56%.

Market Summary:

• Current ASI: 142,613.47
• Previous ASI: 144,722.50
• Day Change: -1.46%
• YTD Performance: +38.56%
• Volume Traded: 1.02 billion shares
• Market Cap: ?90.2 trillion

Top Gainers and Losers

ENAMELWARE led the gainers’ chart with a 9.95% jump to close at ?35.90. Daar Communications rose 9.82% to ?1.23, while Deap Capital appreciated by 9.60% to ?1.94. Other notable gainers included Academy Press (+8.43%) and International Breweries (+6.95%).

On the flip side, Royal Exchange plunged by 10.00% to ?2.52, leading the losers’ chart. Dangote Cement, the market heavyweight, shed 9.88% to close at ?520.00. RT Briscoe (-9.87%), Jaiz Bank (-9.81%), and Lasaco Assurance (-9.77%) also posted steep losses.

Trading Volume and Value

• Universal Insurance was the most traded stock, with 130.2 million units exchanged.
• AIICO Insurance followed with 100.1 million shares, while Mutual Benefits Assurance recorded 68.5 million units.
• Prestige Assurance (66.8m) and Regency Alliance (46.1m) rounded off the top five.

In terms of value, Nigerian Breweries led with ?2.1 billion worth of shares traded. Dangote Cement followed at ?1.3 billion, while Access Holdings (?1.04 billion), Zenith Bank (?894 million), and Dangote Sugar (?765.9 million) completed the list.

SWOOT & FUGAZ Performance

Among the Stocks Worth Over One Trillion Naira (SWOOTs), performance was mixed. International Breweries (+6.95%), Fidelity Bank (+0.97%), and Lafarge Africa (+0.04%) posted modest gains. However, Dangote Cement (-9.88%) and Nigerian Breweries (-2.10%) weighed down the index.

For the FUGAZ banks, UBA inched up 0.10%, while losses were seen in Zenith Bank (-7.26%), GTCO (-2.06%), and Access Holdings (-0.18%).

Outlook

Analysts noted that the NGX has entered a retracement phase, with the index likely to test the 142,000 support level, and potentially 141,000, if bearish momentum persists. Sustained weakness in large-cap stocks such as Dangote Cement could deepen the overall market decline.