The week of March 23-27, 2026 ended with a sharp headline number on the Nigerian Exchange: the NGX ASI closed Friday at 1,443.22, down 2.54% on the day, even though several parts of the market had been supported earlier in the week by cement names, oil-linked stocks and earnings-driven buying. That late pullback came against a tense global backdrop, with Brent crude at $103.84 a barrel, up 3.9% for the week despite a 3.9% daily drop, while the naira showed a modest improvement with USD/NGN at 1,379.83, down 0.24% on the day.
Key figures
- NGX ASI: 1,443.22, down 2.54% on March 27
- Market breadth: 33 gainers, 36 losers, 79 unchanged
- Brent crude: $103.84/bbl, up 3.9% for the week
- USD/NGN: 1,379.83, with the naira up 0.24% on the day
- Biggest loser: Cadbury Nigeria -10.0% to 63.0 NGN; biggest gainer: Premier Paints +10.0% to 37.5 NGN
Market context: Friday looked weak, but the week was more selective than the close suggests
To understand NGX today, investors need to separate Friday’s sell-off from the broader tone of the week. Verified market data show a fairly balanced tape, with , and out of . That breadth profile matters because it suggests the drop in the benchmark was not a full-market collapse. Instead, it points to profit-taking in specific pockets after earlier support in heavyweight names.