Nigeria’s stock market extended its rally on April 15, 2026, with the All-Share Index (ASI) climbing to a historic high of 209,317.41 points, driven by strong gains in heavyweight stocks including Airtel Africa, Aradel, and major banking names.
The benchmark index rose by 3,485.49 points, representing a 1.69 per cent increase from the previous close of 205,831.92, as investor appetite strengthened across key sectors.
Market activity also improved significantly, with 706 million shares traded in 46,231 deals, up from 569 million shares in the previous session, reflecting renewed market participation.
Market capitalisation rose to N134.77 trillion, while the total value of transactions reached N41.87 billion, largely driven by high turnover in blue-chip stocks.
Investor sentiment remained bullish, pushing the market’s year-to-date return to 34.5 per cent.
Airtel Africa and Aradel led the gainers’ chart, each recording a 10.00 per cent increase. Other top performers included Ecobank Transnational (up 9.98 per cent), Transnational Express (up 9.89 per cent), and Fortis Global Insurance (up 9.82 per cent).
However, profit-taking was evident in some counters, with AustinLaz declining by 9.77 per cent and John Holt dropping 9.72 per cent.
Zenith Bank led trading volume with 73.2 million shares, followed by Tantalizers (56.5 million) and UBA (49.8 million). Access Holdings and Secure Electronics also recorded strong participation.
By value, Zenith Bank topped the chart with N8.7 billion in trades, ahead of MTN (N4.3 billion) and GTCO (N4.08 billion). Lafarge and Aradel also featured prominently.
Among trillion-naira stocks, Airtel Africa and Aradel posted 10 per cent gains, while Stanbic IBTC rose 8.23 per cent and Wema Bank gained 5.14 per cent. MTN recorded a modest increase of 1.08 per cent, while International Breweries dipped by 1.68 per cent.
Performance within the FUGAZ banking group was mixed. Zenith Bank and GTCO advanced by 6.87 per cent and 3.17 per cent respectively, while UBA, First Holdco, and Access Holdings recorded slight declines.
The latest rally underscores renewed momentum in large-cap stocks, which have driven the market to record highs. Analysts say if this trend continues, the ASI could push beyond the 210,000 mark in the near term.
