Stock Market Extends Downward Trajectory

• Stock market continued its downward trajectory on Tuesday, posting a 0.12 per cent decline as sell pressure intensified across several mid- and small-cap stocks.

  The session reflected cautious trading sentiment, with investors reacting to broader market uncertainties that influenced movements across various sectors and dampened overall risk appetite.

  Market capitalisation fell by N110 billion, or 0.12 per cent, reducing the value from N92.328 trillion recorded previously to N92.218 trillion at the close.

  Similarly, the All-Share Index slipped by 0.12 per cent, shedding 173.26 points to finish at 144,986.51 compared with 145,159.77 posted on Monday.

  The continued downtrend deepened the negative year-to-date performance, dragging the return further to 40.86 per cent and highlighting persistent bearish sentiment.

  Market breadth also closed negative, indicating sellers dominated the session, with twenty-eight equities declining against twenty-seven that managed to record gains.

  On the losers’ table, Livingtrust Mortgage Bank led with a 9.90 per cent slide, closing at N3.73 after sustained profit-taking by investors.

  McNicholas followed with a 9 per cent drop to N2.73, reflecting reduced demand, while Livestock Feeds shed 7.75 per cent to settle at N6.55 per share.

  Regency Alliance Insurance retreated by 6.56 per cent to N1.14, extending previous losses as investors adjusted positions following earlier rallies.

  UPDC fell by 6.14 per cent to close at N5.96, mirroring prevailing weakness across the property and real estate segment of the market.

  Conversely, NCR Nigeria led the gainers’ chart, rising by 9.95 per cent to finish at N30.95 following renewed investor interest in technology-related stocks.

  University Press advanced by 9.80 per cent to close at N5.60, supported by improved sentiment within the publishing and education-linked equities.

  Tantalizer gained 9.79 per cent to N2.58, maintaining upward momentum and attracting increased attention from speculative traders for a second consecutive session.

  Caverton Offshore Support Group appreciated by 9.57 per cent to close at N5.15, driven by renewed confidence in aviation and marine logistics stocks.

  Union Dicon Salt rose by 9.52 per cent to end at N6.90, reflecting increased demand within consumer goods equities seeking short-term upside.

  Market activity weakened further, as key indicators for volume, turnover and number of deals all recorded notable declines compared with the previous session.

  A total of 381.23 million shares valued at N16.7 billion were traded in 21,827 deals, marking lower activity than Monday’s heavier transactions.

  By comparison, the previous session saw 388.2 million shares worth N31.14 billion traded across 28,492 deals, underscoring reduced investor engagement.

  For the second consecutive session, Tantalizer dominated the volume chart with 58.78 million shares exchanged, reflecting heightened speculative interest.

  Aradel led the value chart with transactions worth N9.50 billion, maintaining strong investor focus on high-value and energy-linked stocks.