Nigeria’s equities market continued its bullish run on Thursday as the benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) advanced by 485.2 points to close at 146,204.3, up from 145,719.1 recorded in the previous session. This pushed the year-to-date (YTD) gain to an impressive 42.05%, underscoring sustained investor confidence in the market.

The day’s rally lifted the market capitalization to ₦92.7 trillion, supported by renewed demand for large-capitalization stocks, particularly in the industrial goods sector.

Leading the charge was Dangote Cement Plc, which dominated trading by value with an impressive ₦11 billion worth of shares exchanged. The cement giant also ranked among the most actively traded equities, with approximately 20.9 million units changing hands.

Although the total market volume dipped to 346.9 million shares from 525.6 million in the prior session, market breadth remained positive as investors rotated positions toward fundamentally strong blue-chip stocks.

Analysts attribute the sustained rally to improved macroeconomic indicators, resilient corporate earnings, and growing participation by institutional investors. Dangote Cement’s strong showing, in particular, highlights the continuing appeal of industrial sector leaders amid Nigeria’s ongoing infrastructure expansion drive.