Nigerian bourse overtakes South Korean equities to claim world’s best-performing stock market

 Nigerian equities have overtaken South Korea’s stock market
to become the world’s best-performing equity market in dollar terms this year,
buoyed by macroeconomic reforms, improved foreign exchange liquidity and
renewed investor confidence.

 

According to a Bloomberg report on Thursday, Nigeria’s
benchmark stock index has returned 67 percent in dollar terms since the
beginning of the year.

The performance edged South Korea’s Kospi index, which has
gained 66 percent, among the 92 global stock exchanges tracked by the
publication.

The report said South Korea lost its lead after the Kospi
slipped into a technical bear market this week, falling 22 percent from its
June 19 peak as investors reassessed the outlook for artificial intelligence
(AI)-related stocks.

The South Korean won has also weakened 5 percent against the
dollar this year, making it the fourth-worst-performing Asian currency.

In contrast, Bloomberg said Nigeria’s market has rallied on
the back of economic reforms, firmer oil prices and improved foreign exchange
supply, with the naira appreciating about 4 percent against the dollar since
January.

According to the publication, financial services companies
listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) have driven much of the market’s gains,
with Fortis Global Insurance Plc delivering a return of about 1,400 percent in
dollar terms this year.

Also, unlike South Korea’s equity market, where technology
and AI-related stocks dominate, Nigeria’s rally has been driven largely by
domestic macroeconomic factors.

The report cited S&P Dow Jones Indices’ decision this
week to place Nigeria on its 2027 watchlist for a possible reclassification to
frontier market status could further strengthen investor appetite for Nigerian
assets.

On July 8, S&P placed Nigeria on its 2027 watchlist for
a possible return to frontier market status, saying the country’s regulatory
environment has improved but that consistency in policy implementation and
operational resilience remain necessary before a reclassification can be
considered.

In addition, FTSE Russell deferred a decision on Nigeria’s
return to its Frontier Market Index, citing the need to further assess the
implications of the country’s transition to a T+1 settlement cycle for
international investors.

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