The NGX Consumer Goods Index surged 129.6% in 2025, leading market performance as investors rotated into profitable consumer stocks

Nigerian Exchange Limited, through the NGX Consumer Goods Index, recorded a powerful 129.6 per cent gain in 2025, outperforming all other sectoral indices and emerging as the strongest driver of market wealth creation for investors.

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The performance came during a historic year for the Exchange, as the All Share Index rose by 51.2 per cent to close at 155,613.03 basis points, while total market capitalisation increased by N36.6 trillion to N99.38 trillion.

Market data showed that investor demand for consumer goods stocks significantly outpaced interest in other sectors, reflecting aggressive portfolio rotation into companies that demonstrated resilience and improving profitability.

The NGX Insurance Index followed with a gain of 65.6 per cent, while the NGX Industrial Index advanced by 58.9 per cent. In contrast, the NGX Oil and Gas Index declined by 1.54 per cent, making it the weakest performer of the year.

Capital market analysts attributed the surge in consumer goods stocks to strong corporate earnings, noting that many companies overcame the macroeconomic pressures of 2023 and 2024 to return to profitability.

Those pressures included a sharp depreciation of the naira following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s foreign exchange policy reforms in 2023, which initially hurt input costs and margins across the sector.

A review of company performance showed that Guinness Nigeria Plc delivered the highest return, with its share price rising by 398.08 per cent to close at N349.90 from N70.25.

Vitafoam Nigeria Plc followed, with a 300 per cent increase to N92.00 from N23.00, while Champion Breweries Plc rose by 247.6 per cent to close at N14.00 from N3.81.

Cordros Securities advised investors to buy most stocks in the sector, citing the essential nature of food and household products and the ability of leading firms to pass through price increases.

The firm highlighted Nestlé Nigeria Plc and NASCON Allied Industries Plc as companies benefiting from strong distribution networks, dominant market share and resilient consumer demand.

Afrinvest, in a brewery sector report, said premiumisation strategies and innovation targeted at younger consumers were expected to shape industry performance in the medium term.

David Adnori, Vice President of Highcap Securities Limited, said investor interest was particularly strong in Nigerian Breweries Plc, Nestlé Nigeria Plc and Cadbury Nigeria Plc.