Zenith Bank Plc has crossed the N5 trillion market capitalisation mark, becoming the first bank in Nigeria to reach the level on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX).
The milestone follows a rise in the bank’s share price between December 2025 and March 2026.
The stock moved from N61.80 to a high of N113.30 before closing at N110.00 on March 18, representing a gain of over 77 percent within the period.
The increase lifted the bank’s market value from N2.54 trillion at the end of December 2025 to about N4.5 trillion by mid-March.
The valuation later crossed N5.04 trillion on April 15 when the share price reached N122.90 and rose further to about N5.2 trillion as of April 20, with the stock closing at N127.20.
During one trading session, the share price gained 7.91 percent to close at N111, marking its highest single-day increase since February.
The development briefly placed the bank ahead of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) as the most capitalised bank in the country.
Zenith Bank also became one of the few banking stocks trading above N100 per share, joining GTCO.
Market data shows that between mid-December 2025 and mid-March 2026, the bank recorded a trading volume of 2.52 billion shares. Its 52-week range expanded from N43.00 to N113.30.
The market performance is supported by its results for the year ended December 31, 2025. The bank reported gross earnings of N4.19 trillion, up from N3.97 trillion in 2024.
Interest income rose by 35 percent to N3.7 trillion, while net interest income increased by 53 percent to N2.64 trillion. Profit before tax stood at N1.26 trillion, a decrease of 5 percent, while profit after tax rose by 1 percent to N1.04 trillion.
Customer deposits increased by 11 percent to N24.33 trillion, while gross loans stood at N11.06 trillion. The bank also made adjustments through write-offs of restructured exposures.
Analysts link the performance to investor confidence in the bank’s leadership under group managing director and chief executive officer Adaora Umeoji, as well as its focus on capital, digital services and expansion.
