At the close of trading last Friday, the market capitalisation of listed equities fell from N67.193 trillion achieved as of February 28 to N65.819 trillion, representing a 2.1 per cent or N1.4 trillion loss.

The all-share index (ASI), which measures the performance of listed equities, also took a hit, shedding 2,858.43 points (2.7 per cent) to close at 104,962.96 points, down from its previous level of 107,821.39 points.

The persistent selloff came despite signs of easing inflation, as indicated by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for February 2025. While this marked the second consecutive month of inflationary decline, the positive failed to lift investors’ sentiment.

Instead, market participants remained fixated on broader macroeconomic uncertainty, including global financial market volatility, fluctuating foreign exchange rates and concerns over the direction of monetary policy.

The extended market downturn was reflected in a significant decline in trading activity. The volume of shares traded throughout the week fell by 11.5 per cent to 2.90 billion units, while the total value of transactions dipped further, plunging by 24.3 per cent to N48.06 billion.

In addition, month-to-date and year-to-date returns also weakened to -2.7 per cent and +2 per cent, underscoring the market’s inability to sustain positive momentum.

Analysts noted that the sharp pullback in market activity was primarily driven by cautious investor behaviour. With growing uncertainty surrounding corporate earnings releases and macroeconomic conditions, many investors opted to stay on the sidelines rather than engage in aggressive trading.
https://guardian.ng/business-services/business/investors-lose-n1-4-trillion-in-four-weeks-amid-prolonged-bears-market/