LA SUITE APRÈS LA PUBLICITÉ

The Nigerian Exchange – NGX snapped a two-day losing streak on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, as institutional investors executed 19 massive block trades worth approximately N32.73 billion.

This surge in major deals across seven listed companies was more than three times higher than the N7.23 billion in cross deals recorded during the previous week. Concentrated primarily in the banking, telecommunications, oil and gas, and consumer goods sectors, these heavy transactions signaled a robust return of institutional buying appetite and successfully restored positive momentum to the local bourse.

First HoldCo and Seplat Energy emerged as the absolute drivers of the day’s activity, jointly accounting for nearly 84% of the total block trade value. First HoldCo completely dominated the volume charts with 285.5 million units changing hands across three separate crosses for a combined value of N19.43 billion—representing nearly 60% of the day’s total major deals. Seplat Energy, on the other hand, recorded the highest frequency of transactions with seven individual crosses worth N8.00 billion, featuring a steady intraday price appreciation that climbed from N10,240.0 to N11,345.6 per share.

Other bellwether stocks also experienced significant positioning during the high-volume session. MTN Nigeria – MTNN pulled in N3.57 billion across four crosses that similarly trended upward to peak at N849.9 per share, while Stanbic IBTC cleared the second-largest single volume of the day with a 5.3-million-unit block priced at N848 million. Banking giants GTCO and Zenith Bank, alongside consumer goods heavyweight Nestlé Nigeria, rounded out the block trade activity, collectively contributing just under N900 million to the day’s primary deals.

This concentrated institutional activity triggered a broad-based market recovery, lifting the NGX All-Share Index by 0.46% to close at 242,870.44 points and recovering from the previous session’s losses. The market capitalization jumped by approximately N719 billion to settle at N155.85 trillion, while total traded value across the entire exchange soared by 139.44% to N53.34 billion. Market breadth closed on a positive note, with 24 gaining equities outpacing 22 decliners amid selective buying of large-cap assets.

Market analysts suggest that this pattern of elevated block trades indicates strategic, long-term positioning by major fund managers in Nigeria’s most resilient corporates. Because these heavy transactions are concentrated in market leaders like First HoldCo and MTNN, their ongoing movement is highly likely to dictate the short-term direction of the index.

For retail investors, this institutional confidence provides a stabilizing signal, showing that despite recent volatility, the market’s fundamental long-term growth story remains intact.