Top Performing Large-Cap Nigerian Stocks this Year: A Ranking of the Top 10

The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) has witnessed a remarkable year in 2025, with the NGX 30 Index and the broader Nigerian All-Share Index (ASI) posting impressive gains. This article highlights the top 10 best-performing stocks within the NGX 30, ranked by their year-to-date share price appreciation.

One of these top performers is BUA Cement Plc, a leading player in the cement industry. The company, led by CEO Abdulsamad Rabiu, has experienced a significant surge in its stock price this year, making it one of the most talked-about stocks on the exchange.

At the start of 2025, BUA Cement's stock opened at N93, still in a retracement from the previous year. However, the company's fortunes began to turn around in August, when the price climbed modestly to reach N151.80. The stock then dipped to N83.70 in March and stalled through much of the second quarter.

But the rally for BUA Cement truly began in July, when the price surged more than 41% to close at N135. This impressive growth has resulted in a year-to-date share price appreciation of 63.23%.

The strong performance of BUA Cement can be attributed to several factors. The company's pretax profit in H1 2025 increased significantly, reaching N214.8 billion compared to N40.1 billion in H1 2024. This was largely due to robust cement sales. As a result, the company's revenue in H1 2025 was 59.45% higher than in H1 2024, reaching N580.3 billion.

Much of BUA Cement's rally, especially in July 2025, was likely driven by the company's strong half-year results. These results demonstrated the company's resilience and growth potential, attracting the attention of investors and contributing to the stock's impressive growth.

It's important to note that BUA Cement plays a significant role in both the All-Share Index and the sectoral indices it belongs to. As one of the top 10 performers within the NGX 30, BUA Cement's price movements can have a substantial impact on the overall performance of these indices.

The NGX 30 Index, a collection of the 30 largest companies on the Nigerian Exchange, has delivered a year-to-date gain of 33.18%. This is slightly lower than the ASI's gain of 35.03%, indicating that while the NGX 30 has performed well, the broader market has outperformed it slightly.

In conclusion, the performance of BUA Cement Plc in 2025 serves as a testament to the potential for growth in the Nigerian stock market. As one of the top performers in the NGX 30, BUA Cement's success story is a beacon of hope for investors and a sign of the market's resilience and potential for further growth.