At N107, Stock Price of GTCO Reaches 52-Week High

Kayode Tokede

As the Nigerian stock market continued its positive momentum in the second trading week in  February 2026, the stock price of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO), yesterday hit N107.00 per share, making it a 52-week high  on the bourse.

The stock price of GTCO gained 0.94 per cent or N1.00 per share to close at N107.00 per share yesterday from N106.00 per share when the stock opened for trading.

THISDAY can report that reaching N107.00 per share, the market capitalization of GTCO edges close to N4 trillion, becoming the largest financial institution by market value quoted on Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

Currently, the market capitalization   of GTCO closed yesterday at N3.91 trillion, followed closely by Zenith Bank Plc with a market capitalization of N3.2trillion (N78.00 per share).

So far  in February 2026 trading activities, the stock  price of GTCO appreciated by 8.08per cent or N8.00 per share from  N99 per share it opened for trading and In January 2026, it gained  9.15 per cent or N8.30 per share Month-on-Month from N90.70 it opened for trading in 2026.

In all, the financial institution’s stock price has gained 17.9per cent or N16.3 per share in its Year–till-Date (YtD) growth  amid growing fundamentals of the Exchange.

The stock  price of GTCO has seen steady growth in the last three-day trading activities  following the National Pension Commission’s (PenCom) decision to raise equity limits for pension funds.

This move is expected to inject fresh liquidity into the market. PenCom, revised investment limits for ordinary shares in RSA Funds I, II, III, and VI-Active.

PenCom amended Section 9 of its investment regulations, increasing equity allocation caps across multiple Retirement Savings Account (RSA) fund classes: RSA Fund I moved from 30 per cent to 35 per cent; RSA Fund II from 25 per cent to 33 per cent; RSA Fund III from 10 per cent to 15 per cent; while RSA Fund VI (Active) from 25 per cent to 33 per cent

According to the regulator, the decision to revise the limits reflected the need to address implementation challenges associated with the Revised Regulation on Investment of Pension Fund Assets published in September 2025.

Speaking on the development, Cardinalstone stated that “the decision appears to be a good catalyst for equities market that is already on a bright path. PFAs are also likely to leverage the rule to properly optimise their positions in fundamentally sound tickers, with their sell orders previously hindering the take-off of these stocks now expected to give way to buy orders and sustain the bullish momentum.

“The decision also combines with valuation attractiveness, growth expectations, a stable FX market, and moderating inflation to improve the case for Nigerian equities in 2026.”

However,  GTCO, among other listed blue-chip companies, have not announced audited result and accounts for the full year ended December 31, 2025 to the investing public.

Capital market analysts have anticipated the final dividend payout by the management of GTCO as N1.00 interim dividend was paid for the half year (H1) ended June 30, 2025.

The N1 per share interim dividend payout amounted  to N34.14billion for H1 2025 from N29.4 billion in H1 2024 (interim H1 2024 dividend: N1.00 per share).

GTCO’s  interim dividend decision reassured investors who had been worried that regulatory tightening might impact dividend payments across the sector.

The Group posted profit before tax of N900.8billion on the back of strong performance on the core earning lines of interest income and fee income which grew y-o-y by 25.6per cent and 16.8per cent, respectively.

The strong core-earning performance continued to narrow the y-o-y dip in PBT to 26pepr cent, thereby cushioning the impact of the N523.2billion fair value gains recognised in Q3 2024, which did not recur in Q3 2025.

Analysts attributed the sharp decline in GTCO profit to the absence of foreign exchange (FX) revaluation gains, a factor that significantly boosted earnings in the previous year.

Analysts noted that Nigerian investors are motivated by more than just the potential appreciation of share prices; they are also drawn to the steady income dividends provide, saying that strong payouts tend to boost investor confidence, attract income-focused buyers, and in some cases, propel a company into the premium ranks of the exchange.