Nigeria’s equities market recovered ₦410.86 billion in value on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, as renewed buying interest lifted share prices on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), partially reversing the previous session’s ₦1.47 trillion loss.
Market capitalisation rose to ₦159.67 trillion from ₦159.26 trillion, while the NGX All-Share Index gained 632.79 points, or 0.26%, to close at 245,911.13 points, according to market data reported by Nairametrics on October 20, 2026.
The recovery followed Monday’s sell-off, which pushed the market lower as investors sold shares. Tuesday’s performance suggested renewed interest in selected stocks, although gains were not uniform across the market.
The latest advance raised the market’s year-to-date return to 58.03%, indicating that equities remained substantially higher than their levels at the beginning of 2026 despite recent bouts of profit-taking.
Industrial and consumer goods stocks featured prominently among the day’s gainers. HBM Nigeria Plc rose 6.76% to close at ₦379 per share, while Nascon Allied Industries Plc gained 7.31% to ₦183.50. Unilever Nigeria Plc advanced 5.83% to ₦109.
Austin Laz & Company Plc led the market’s gainers, climbing 9.97% to ₦3.53 per share. ABC Transport Plc followed with a 9.92% increase to ₦6.65, while Cutix Plc rose 9.91% to ₦2.33.
The positive performance was reflected in market breadth, with more stocks recording price increases than declines. However, the gains were concentrated in selected counters rather than spread evenly across all sectors.
Trading activity presented a mixed picture. Approximately 348.75 million shares changed hands, representing a slight decline in volume from the previous session. The value of transactions, however, rose to about ₦25.88 billion, suggesting that the market recorded higher-value trading despite the marginal reduction in shares exchanged.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) led trading by volume, with 48.14 million shares valued at approximately ₦2.12 billion. FCMB and Zenith Bank also featured among the actively traded stocks.
The rebound came against the backdrop of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s decision to retain the Monetary Policy Rate at 23% at its September 2026 policy meeting.
Investors will be watching whether renewed buying interest can sustain the recovery or whether further profit-taking will weigh on share prices in subsequent sessions.
Tuesday’s gain restored part of the value lost on Monday, but the market’s next direction will depend on continued demand for equities and the performance of leading stocks.
