UBA Attracts Nearly ₦200bn in H1 Trades as Investor Appetite Peaks in May - InsideBusiness - Business News in Nigeria
This underscores a sustained confidence in banking stock despite a moderation in activity towards the end of the period. Trading data showed that investor participation strengthened steadily from January. . .
This underscores a sustained confidence in banking stock despite a moderation in activity towards the end of the period. Trading data showed that investor participation strengthened steadily from January through May before easing in June, as both retail and institutional investors maintained strong demand for the lender’s shares. UBA began the year on a relatively moderate note, recording 28,916 deals involving 221. 34 million shares valued at an estimated ₦9. 85 billion to ₦10. 1 billion in January. Trading activity accelerated in February as total volume doubled to 448. 14 million shares across 28,887 deals, with transaction value rising to ₦21. 31 billion. Momentum gathered further in March when investors traded 932. 95 million shares through 43,355 deals, making it one of the bank’s busiest trading months during the period. Although the month’s transaction value was not officially available, prevailing market prices indicate trades were worth an estimated ₦42 billion to ₦45 billion. Strong market interest continued in April as investors exchanged 932. 17 million shares in 39,520 deals, with the value of transactions estimated at about ₦40. 8 billion. Trading remained particularly active on April 15 and April 22, when daily volumes exceeded 49 million shares. Investor appetite reached its highest level in May, when UBA recorded 63,310 deals, the highest monthly trading frequency of the half year. During the month, investors traded approximately 1. 37 billion shares worth about ₦59. 04 billion, representing the strongest monthly performance in terms of both volume and value. Market activity, however, cooled in June. Trading volume declined to about 528. 4 million shares across 29,847 deals, while estimated transaction value fell to between ₦22. 8 billion and ₦23. 5 billion, suggesting investors took profits after several months of heavy accumulation. Overall, average daily trading volume expanded significantly during the six-month period, rising from about 10 million to 11 million shares in January to more than 68 million shares in May before moderating to roughly 26 million shares in June. The six-fold increase reflected improving liquidity and growing investor participation in the stock. Throughout the period, UBA’s share price traded largely within the ₦44. 20 to ₦50. 90 range, indicating that the surge in market activity was driven more by sustained buying interest than speculative price swings. Market analysts said the consistent increase in trading volumes between February and May points to growing investor confidence in the banking sector, supported by the stock’s liquidity, earnings prospects and attractive dividend expectations. The moderation recorded in June is viewed as a healthy correction following the strong rally witnessed earlier in the year rather than a sign of weakening investor confidence. With investors committing close to ₦200 billion to UBA shares during the first half of 2026, the bank remained one of the most actively traded financial services stocks on the Nigerian Exchange, reinforcing its position as a preferred destination for both institutional and retail investors.