Lagos, Nigeria – The Nigerian Exchange closed higher on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, as the All-Share Index added 1,691.9 points to finish at 200,705.9 points, lifting the market back above the 200,000 level on the back of renewed buying interest.
Okay News reports that the rebound followed Monday’s close at 199,014.0 points and was led by a 10 per cent gain in Airtel Africa, while overall activity improved with 1.2 billion shares traded in 89,949 deals, compared with 848 million shares in the previous session.
Total market capitalisation rose to 128.8 trillion naira from 127.7 trillion naira, with Guaranty Trust Holding Company emerging as the most actively traded stock by value after investors exchanged about 19.3 billion naira worth of its units on Customs Street.
Data from the session show that the market’s year to date return increased to 28.98 per cent from 27.89 per cent a day earlier, while John Holt, Airtel Africa, Consolidated Hallmark and Legend Internet all advanced by 10 per cent to top the gainers’ chart, joined by Zichis Agro Allied, which climbed 9.97 per cent.
On the losers’ side, profit taking dragged NPF Microfinance Bank down 6.29 per cent and Royalex down 5.32 per cent, while CWG, Nigerian Breweries and Veritaskap also recorded declines of between about 4 and 5 per cent.
By volume, Access Holdings led with 266.7 million shares, followed by GTCO at 184.3 million shares, Wema Bank at 182.4 million shares, United Bank for Africa at 119 million shares and Zenith Bank at 42.7 million shares, underscoring sustained interest in banking names.
In value terms, GTCO was top with 19.3 billion naira in trades, ahead of MTN Nigeria at 8.1 billion naira, Access Holdings at 6.02 billion naira, UBA at 5.7 billion naira and Wema Bank at 4.7 billion naira.
Among large cap “SWOOT” stocks valued above 1 trillion naira, performance was mostly positive, as Airtel Africa gained 10 per cent, International Breweries rose 5.51 per cent and Wema Bank added 1.53 per cent, while MTN Nigeria slipped 1.11 per cent.
Within the FUGAZ banking group, GTCO advanced 5.71 per cent and Access Holdings edged up 0.39 per cent, whereas FBN Holdings fell 2.99 per cent, UBA lost 1.03 per cent and Zenith Bank eased 0.28 per cent.
Analysts say the strong value turnover in GTCO and the index’s move back above 200,000 points point to returning bullish momentum, and if buying pressure persists, the All-Share Index could retest levels above 202,000 in the near term.
