The stock exchange of the West African Economic and Monetary Union has reached a historic milestone, with the BRVM equity market capitalisation crossing 20 trillion CFA francs for the first time.
The Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières announced that its equity market cap reached 20,036.18 billion FCFA on 20 August 2026, establishing a new record for the regional exchange that serves eight UEMOA member states. The figure represents a 50.30% increase from the 13,330.71 billion FCFA recorded at the start of 2026.
The BRVM, headquartered in Abidjan, began trading on 16 September 1998 with a market capitalisation of just 836.19 billion FCFA. The new record means the value of listed equities on the exchange has multiplied by 24 over the intervening 28 years.
The current equity market capitalisation on the exchange stood at 21,359 billion FCFA as of 28 September 2026, complemented by 13,625 billion FCFA in listed bonds. Daily trading volumes reached 1.38 billion FCFA, with the BRVM-C index at 544.68, up 0.72%, and the BRVM-30 at 263.84, up 0.69%.
Financial services dominate the exchange, accounting for 44.16% of total equity market capitalisation. Telecommunications follow at 33.36%, with consumer staples at 12.54%. Together, these three sectors represent 90.06% of the total.
Among the 47 companies listed on the exchange, the five largest by market value are SONATEL SN, ORANGE CI, SOCIETE GENERALE CI, ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED TG and CORIS BANK INTERNATIONAL BF, which together account for 49.16% of the total equity market capitalisation.
The BRVM said the steady rise reflects a broader revival across African capital markets, with new listings returning, capital increases being completed, and renewed interest from both institutional and retail investors. The exchange said the positive trajectory positions regional capital markets to play an expanded role in long-term financing for the economies of the member states, particularly as they confront the challenges of sustainable finance, technology, and the opening of new sectors including mining and agriculture.
The record comes as several other African exchanges are also showing significant performance, according to the BRVM, signalling a continent-wide re-rating of listed equities after years of underinvestment in African capital markets.
The BRVM operates as the regional stock exchange for the Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest-Africaine (UEMOA), covering eight countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. All trading is conducted on the Abidjan-based exchange under a single regulatory framework.
