NGX Opens Week Strong with N285bn Gain as Julius Berger, Cutix Lead Rally

The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) kicked off the week on a bullish note on Monday, August 25, 2025, as equities surged by ₦285 billion in market value. This uptick was driven by robust performances in construction giant Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, electrical cable manufacturer Cutix Plc, and a cluster of insurance stocks that buoyed investor sentiment.

At the close of trading, the All-Share Index rose by 435.61 points, representing a 0.31 percent increase, to settle at 141,439.75. This rally pushed the total market capitalisation to ₦89.5 trillion, marking a notable rebound from the previous week’s losses. Despite a 23 percent decline in trading volume and a 56 percent drop in turnover compared to the prior session, the number of deals executed rose by 29 percent to 33,304, indicating renewed interest across various counters.

Market breadth closed positive, with 40 stocks recording gains against 17 decliners. Julius Berger Nigeria led the gainers’ chart with a 9.93 percent appreciation, closing at ₦146.10 per share. Cutix followed closely, gaining 9.86 percent to finish at ₦3.90. Insurance firms also posted strong performances, with Regency Alliance Insurance rising 9.70 percent to ₦1.47, Veritas Kapital Assurance climbing 9.60 percent to ₦2.17, and McNichols advancing 9.37 percent to ₦3.50. NEM Insurance also joined the rally, adding 8.83 percent to close at ₦28.95.

On the flip side, University Press Plc led the losers with a steep 12.06 percent decline to ₦5.54 per share. Cadbury Nigeria shed 9.61 percent to close at ₦57.85, while Abbey Mortgage Bank dropped 8.39 percent to ₦6.55. Daar Communications lost 7.44 percent to ₦1.12, Austin Laz slipped 6.55 percent to ₦2.71, and Mecure Industries fell 6.02 percent to ₦19.50.

In terms of activity, FCMB Group dominated the volume chart with 105.1 million shares traded, valued at ₦1.14 billion across 1,144 deals. Veritas Kapital Assurance followed with 59.6 million shares worth ₦128.8 million, while Universal Insurance recorded 34.4 million units valued at ₦45.2 million. Aiico Insurance exchanged 26.2 million shares worth ₦111.9 million, and GTCO led the value chart with ₦2.39 billion in trades from 25 million units.

Sectoral performance was mixed. The Insurance Index emerged as the best performer, gaining 3.81 percent, largely driven by price appreciations in Regency Alliance, Veritas Kapital, and NEM Insurance. The Banking Index rose 1.12 percent, supported by gains in FCMB, UBA, and Zenith Bank. The NGX Pension Index added 0.49 percent, while the Main Board Index climbed 0.43 percent. The Consumer Goods Index posted a modest gain of 0.29 percent, and the Top 30 Index advanced by 0.25 percent.

Despite the day’s rebound, analysts noted that the market still recorded a one-week decline of 2.27 percent. However, it maintained a four-week gain of 4.64 percent and a strong year-to-date appreciation of 37.42 percent, underscoring sustained investor appetite for equities amid macroeconomic headwinds.