NGX Market Wrap 12-May-2026 | Plus234Feed
The Nigerian Exchange closed at 252,158.23 points on Tuesday, driven by a broad-based rally that saw four stocks surge 10% and robust trading activity across key counters. Market capitalisation stood at ₦161.61 trillion, with UNILEVER (NGX: UNILEVER), UPL, UHOMREIT, and IKEJAHOTEL leading gainers while CUSTODIAN experienced the sharpest decline.
The NGX delivered a bullish session on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, underpinned by simultaneous strength across multiple sectors. The day's most striking feature was the synchronised 10% rally in UNILEVER (up ₦15.00 to ₦165.00), UPL (up ₦0.40 to ₦4.40), UHOMREIT (up ₦7.70 to ₦84.70), and IKEJAHOTEL (up ₦3.60 to ₦39.60), suggesting coordinated institutional positioning rather than isolated strength. This breadth indicates underlying confidence in the market's direction.
Trading activity remained healthy, with 80,888 total deals generating ₦87.71 billion in traded value across 2.03 billion shares. The most-traded list reflects both large-cap and mid-cap engagement: CWG (NGX: CWG) dominated volume at 431.63 million shares, followed by UBA (NGX: UBA) (403.09 million) and CILEASING (152.12 million), signalling sustained retail and institutional participation.
However, the day was not without casualties. CUSTODIAN fell ₦8.55 to ₦81.25 (down 9.52%), while HONYFLOUR declined ₦1.50 to ₦17.00 (down 8.11%): notable given HONYFLOUR's appearance among most-traded stocks with 72.38 million shares, suggesting profit-taking or sector-specific headwinds. Smaller declines in AIICO (NGX: AIICO), FTGINSURE, and NSLTECH indicated selective weakness in insurance and tech counters.
The market's ₦161.61 trillion capitalisation represents solid investor appetite, though the divergence between gainers and losers warrants close monitoring. Investors should watch whether Wednesday's session sustains this momentum or reverses as profit-taking pressures emerge.
