The Nigerian All-Share Index closed the trading session of March 10, 2026, on a negative note, falling by 1,130.9 points to settle at 196,066.1. This marks a 0.57 percent decline from the previous close of 197,197.0, as trading momentum continued to soften.
Okay News reports that market capitalization slipped below the N126 trillion mark, closing at N125.8 trillion (approximately $80.4 billion), reflecting the day’s broader decline in share prices. Market activity also weakened, with total volume dropping to 746.8 million shares traded across 65,275 deals, slightly below the 762 million shares recorded in the prior session.
Market sentiment turned bearish, with the year-to-date return slipping to 26 percent from 26.72 percent in the previous session. Despite the broader decline, selective buying emerged in a few counters, with Premier Paints and Conoil gaining 9.97 percent and 9.95 percent respectively.
On the downside, profit-taking weighed on Mutual Benefits Assurance and Nascon Allied, both of which declined by 10 percent. In terms of trading volume, Access Holdings led with 80.2 million shares, followed by Mutual Benefits at 52.6 million and Fortis Global at 41.3 million shares.
By value, Zenith Bank topped turnover at N3.29 billion, followed by Aradel at N3.2 billion and Access Holdings at N2 billion. Among SWOOTs, stocks valued above N1 trillion, performance was bearish with Wema Bank falling 5.19 percent and Lafarge declining 4.76 percent, while International Breweries rose 2.04 percent.
This stock market dip marks the sharpest drop since February 24, when the market shed 1,779 points. The decline may persist depending on whether large-cap stocks continue retracing, though a renewed wave of buying could help steer the index back toward a bullish path.
