Zenith’s rally beats peers as investors pile into bank stocks

Zenith Bank Plc’s shares have outpaced Nigerian peers as investors rotate into bank stocks following the sector’s sweeping recapitalisation drive and the country’s return to Frontier Market status by FTSE Russell.

Nigeria’s biggest lender by market value has seen its shares return a 120 percent year-to-date (YTD) gain, with a unit sold for N135.90 as of the last trading day on Friday, April 24, 2026.

That outperforms the Nigerian Exchange Banking Index, a scoreboard for the country’s biggest lenders, which returned 59.29 percent YTD.

The lender’s rally contrasts with its peers, including First Holdco Plc, United Bank for Africa, Access Holdings Plc, and Guaranty Trust Holding, which returned 56.6 percent, 32.1 percent, 49.1 percent, and 47.5 percent, respectively.

That means Zenith Bank has more than doubled its investors’ money in nearly four months. The stock rally has also made it the first bank to cross the N5 trillion market capitalisation, now settling at N5.58 trillion, making it the most valuable lender on the country’s bourse.

The rally comes as the banking sector concludes a sweeping recapitalisation process in which the five largest banks, including Fidelity Bank, raise N500 billion each to retain their international banking licences.

Matilda Adefalujo, investment research analyst at Lagos-based consultancy Meristem, pointed to strong pension fund inflows into banking names, Nigeria’s re-entry into the FTSE Frontier Index, and upbeat earnings and dividend announcements, particularly from Zenith Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, as key catalysts for the upside.

Zenith Bank’s rally, analysts said, has been partly underpinned by Nigeria’s re-entry into the FTSE Frontier Index after FTSE Russell restored the country to Frontier Market status from “Unclassified”.

This move compels global tracker funds and ETFs to reallocate capital into Nigerian equities — particularly liquid, large-cap names such as Zenith Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc — driving fresh foreign inflows and boosting demand for bank stocks.

“The market has responded positively to the fact that these banks have met their recapitalisation requirements, which has strengthened investor confidence,” said Samuel Oyekanmi, research and insight lead at Abuja-based consultancy Norrenberger.

“This is further supported by the strong dividends declared for the 2025 financial year, reinforcing the banking sector’s position as the highest dividend-yielding segment in the Nigerian market.”

Investors are usually locked in banking stocks due to the prompt dividend payout. As of the time of filing this report, Guaranty Trust Holding and Zenith Bank were the only tier-1 banks that declared a final dividend of N11.76 kobo and N8.75 kobo.

This is even as the banks’ profitability has come under some level of strain due to the combination of surging impairment charges on bad loans, the removal of regulatory forbearance, and a reduction in foreign exchange revaluation gains.

Even at that, among the three banks that have released their audited reports, Zenith Bank stands as the only profitable lender, growing net income marginally to N1.04 trillion from N1.03 trillion in 2024, supported by stronger gross earnings of N4.19 trillion, up from N3.97 trillion a year earlier.

Access Holdings and FirstHoldCo are yet to release their audited financial results for 2025, while UBA didn’t declare a final dividend but for its interim N0.25, which had been paid.

“Recent government policies are beginning to translate into improved foreign investor sentiment, which naturally positions banks as attractive investment options,” Oyekanmi, earlier quoted, said.

“Given these dynamics, I expect the current rally to persist, especially as the market continues to show upside potential this year. Overall, banking stocks are likely to remain a core holding for investors.”

UK, Pan-African expansion moves spur investors’ sentiment

The various expansion plans by Zenith Bank, including opening a new branch in Manchester while outlining plans to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) by 2027 to broaden access to capital and strengthen client services, have spurred investors’ interest in the stock, with its price climbing to an all-time high of N111, gaining 7.91 percent days after the announcement.

The proposed move reflects the bank’s long-term ambition to position itself as a critical conduit for investment flows between Africa and global financial centres.

Zenith Bank already maintains a presence on the London Stock Exchange through its Global Depository Receipts, listed since 2013 under the ticker ZENB.L, providing an existing platform for international investor participation.

The move will make the lender the second Nigerian bank to list on the UK exchange after Guaranty Trust Holding Company did the same last year, raising $105 million.

The Adaora Umeoji-led lender is equally deepening its Pan-African footprint with the 100 percent acquisition of Kenya’s Paramount Bank after securing regulatory approvals in both countries in a deal valued at over $7.7 million.