Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc has become the first Nigerian bank to see its share price cross the ₦100 threshold, marking a major milestone for one of the largest financial institutions and further cementing its position among the country’s most valuable listed companies.
On Wednesday, GTCO’s stock rose 7.62% to close at ₦101 ($0.06) per share on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), pushing the group’s market capitalisation to ₦3.68 trillion ($2.41 billion). The price rally positions the lender alongside industrial heavyweights like Lafarge Africa Plc and BUA Cement Plc, whose shares closed at ₦107 ($0.07) and ₦103 ($0.067) respectively.
This achievement comes on the heels of another milestone where GTCO became the first Nigerian bank to surpass a ₦3 trillion valuation last week, a move that was largely driven by renewed investor confidence and strong market momentum following its recent dual listing on the London Stock Exchange.
GTCO’s rising share price also reflects its underlying financial strength. In 2024, the parent company of GTBank, posted over ₦1 trillion ($654 million) in after-tax profit for the first time in its history, placing it in rare company among Nigerian corporates. The strong earnings performance and consistent dividend payouts have attracted institutional investors and retail buyers alike.
The share price rally further signals a broader re-rating of top-tier Nigerian banks, particularly those with solid fundamentals and proactive risk management strategies. GTCO’s aggressive expansion, digital banking initiatives, and diversified income streams have played a significant role in shaping investor sentiment.
The bank’s valuation now places it ahead of most financial institutions and near industrial bellwethers on the exchange. With Lafarge and BUA Cement still trading slightly above it, GTCO is now the closest a Nigerian bank has come to matching the valuation levels of the country’s top industrial firms in share price terms.
As Nigeria’s equities market continues its strong performance in 2025, GTCO’s recent achievements underscore the growing investor appetite for high-performing banking stocks with strong governance and earnings resilience.
The figures were originally reported in naira, and have been converted using $1 = ₦1,529 as of July 14, 2025.
