The Nigerian Exchange recorded mixed trading on Thursday, August 27, 2026, as investors took positions across banking, insurance, consumer goods and energy stocks. While several equities posted strong gains, notable declines in healthcare and insurance stocks weighed on overall sentiment.
Omatek Ventures led the gainers, rising 9.60% to ₦1.37, followed by Cornerstone Insurance (+9.18% to ₦5.35) and AXA Mansard Insurance (+9.09% to ₦12.00). Abbey Bank gained 6.25%, while First HoldCo advanced 4.65% to ₦135.
On the losing side, Fidson Healthcare fell 9.98% to ₦75.80, while Learn Africa and International Energy Insurance each declined 9.84%. DAAR Communications (-8.61%) and Legend Internet (-8.43%) also recorded significant losses.
Banking stocks were among the most actively traded. Access Holdings gained 4.36%, UBA rose 3.74%, while Fidelity Bank and Sterling Financial Holdings also closed higher. However, UCAP (-2.59%), Wema Bank (-1.75%) and FCMB (-0.90%) ended lower.
Trading activity was particularly strong in large-cap names. Zenith Bank recorded the highest volume at 69.95 million shares, followed by Access Holdings with 45.37 million, GTCO with 37.47 million, and Sterling Financial Holdings with 37.21 million shares.
In other sectors, Nigerian Breweries slipped 0.14% despite trading over 12.4 million shares, while Aradel Holdings declined marginally by 0.09%. Seplat Energy and Conoil closed unchanged.
Investor takeaway: The session showed strong rotation across sectors, with banking stocks attracting significant liquidity while sharp declines in healthcare and some insurance names highlighted continued stock-specific volatility. Investors may watch whether the buying interest in major banks continues into the next session.
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