Investors on the Nigerian Exchange recorded an impressive N1.97 trillion gain on Monday, as the All-Share Index (ASI) crossed the 201,000-point mark for the first time in history.

The benchmark index advanced by 1.55 percent to close at 201,474.89 points, up from 198,407.30 points in the previous trading session.

Similarly, market capitalization rose from N127.360 trillion to N129.329 trillion, reflecting a significant boost of approximately N1.97 trillion in investors’ holdings.

Market sentiment remained positive, with 38 stocks posting gains compared to 30 decliners at the close of trading.

The upward trend was fueled by strong investor demand and broad-based gains across major sectors. Consequently, the market’s month-to-date (MTD) return increased to 4.48 percent, while the year-to-date (YTD) return climbed to 29.47 percent.

Among the top gainers, BUA Cement recorded a 10 percent increase to close at N297 per share. Other notable advancers included Premier Paints, John Holt, Guinea Insurance, and Fortis Global Insurance.

On the downside, VFD Group led the losers with a 10 percent drop to N11.25 per share, followed by Royal Exchange, Omatek Ventures, Sovereign Trust Insurance, and Regency Alliance.

Trading activity remained robust, with total deals rising to 72,735. A total of 948.2 million shares valued at N49.17 billion were traded during the session.

Financial services stocks dominated trading by volume, indicating strong investor interest in the sector. Sovereign Trust Insurance recorded the highest volume with 72.56 million shares, accounting for 7.65 percent of total trades, while Zenith Bank led in value with transactions worth N5.96 billion, representing 12.11 percent of the day’s turnover.