The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), positive trading momentum persisted for the fifth consecutive day, resulting in a substantial N86 billion gain for investors on Thursday.

The NGX has maintained its positive trend since last Friday, carrying it through the fourth trading session of the week, despite bearish sentiments in certain sectors.

The All-Share Index and market capitalization both experienced a 0.21% increase, closing at 72,455.83 and N39.649 trillion, respectively, bringing them closer to the historic N40 trillion milestone.

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On Wednesday, the ASI surpassed the 72,000 basis points mark, only a few weeks after reaching the 70,000 milestone, driven by sustained bullish sentiments.

While the volume of traded stocks saw a 3.09% increase, reaching 446,582,797, the value of traded stocks declined by approximately 10%, totaling N7.26 billion compared to the previous day’s N8.08 billion.

This trading activity involved 6,845 deals, with the number of stocks traded closing at 123.

Market Breadth, a measure of investors’ sentiment, remained relatively flat, with 26 gainers and 27 losers.

Notable gainers included Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank, John Holt, Ikeja Hotel, Daar Communications, and ETranZact, all experiencing positive movements in their share prices.

On the flip side, RT Briscoe led the losers’ table with a 9.84% decline, followed by UPDCREIT, Mutual Benefit, Omatek, and Sovereign Insurance, all recording losses in their stock values.

Banking stocks continued to dominate the market for the fourth trading session of the week, with the top five traded stocks on Thursday featuring AccessCorp, FCMB, Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa, and Fidelity Bank.

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These stocks collectively witnessed significant trading volumes and values, reflecting the continued interest of investors in the banking sector.

AccessCorp, for instance, saw 77.25 million units of shares worth N1.75 billion traded, indicating robust market activity.