Following its recent dual listing on the London Stock Exchange, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) has become the first Nigerian banking stock to cross the N100 mark, following a rally that saw its share price surge by 41.26 per cent in one month.
Within one month, the value of the shares rose from N71.50 on June 16, to close at N101.00 as of July 16, fuelled by strong investor demand and renewed confidence following its dual listing on the London Stock Exchange on July 10.
GTCO’s milestone listing on the London Stock Exchange has marked a notable return to the international capital market, drawing renewed foreign inflows and lifting investor sentiment around the stock. The heightened interest was evident as GTCO shares hit an intraday high of N103.20, reflecting strong demand from both domestic and international investors.
An analysis of the stock’s one-month performance reveals that the rally began on June 17, when GTCO gained N4.15 to close at N75.65. The upward momentum continued on June 18 with a N3.35 increase to N79.00, followed by N0.75 on June 19 and N5.20 on June 20, pushing the stock to N84.95.
The rally paused in the last week of June as the stock experienced a mild pullback, slipping to N83.55 on June 23 and further to N82.50 by June 27. This weakness extended into early July, with GTCO reaching a short-term low of N80.00 on July 2.
However, a sharp rebound began on July 3, with the stock climbing N2.75 to close at N82.75. It continued to gain in the following sessions, adding N0.45 on July 4, N1.30 on July 7, and N1.45 on July 8, reaching N85.95. The momentum remained strong, with the price rising to N88.00 on July 9.
On July 10, the day of its London debut, GTCO shares jumped by N2.50 to N90.50, and continued the next day with a N3.60 rally to N94.10. After a slight decline to N93.85 on July 14, the stock surged again on July 16, posting a one-day gain of N7.15 (7.62 per cent) to close at N101.00.
GTCO’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Segun Agbaje, while speaking on the institution’s valuation at the listing in London said, “we still have a long way to go in terms of finding the right valuations. Most Nigerian companies are trading at or below book value, despite delivering returns on equity above 30 per cent.
For discerning investors, Nigeria currently offers significant value.”
Agbaje also outlined GTCO’s broader expansion strategy, emphasizing efforts to strengthen operations in West and East Africa, while bolstering its non-banking subsidiaries to diversify revenue streams and deepen its pan-African presence.
