Economy
How Businesses Can Leverage Stock Exchange to Scale
Soaring inflation and prolonged trading inactivity due to the global lockdown left businesses with huge inventories and a cash flow problem, which also disrupted funding pipelines.
Currently, large, medium, and small businesses are sourcing funds to get their businesses back on track and pursue their growth mandate as markets open gradually.
Absa, which offers investment banking and market products through various Nigerian registered subsidiaries, namely Absa Representative Office Nigeria Limited, Absa Capital Markets Nigeria Limited, and Absa Securities Nigeria Limited, advised local businesses to tap into the ample pool of retail and institutional investors on the stock exchange to drive their growth aspirations.
According to Akinkunmi Majaro, the Head of Absa Securities Nigeria Limited, “Businesses consistently strive to grow. Therefore, continued access to cash flow and other investment resources are crucial for businesses aiming to build the competitive edge necessary to drive growth.
“Meanwhile, the global health crisis and its fallout are strong indications that access to long-term financing with fewer stringent demands is critical to staying resilient in an austere operating environment.”
“The Nigeria Stock Exchange, especially, provides access to long and medium terms finance for structured businesses. Absa Capital Markets Nigeria Limited is positioned to help multinational and local businesses and a wide range of investors gain an overriding view of the capital market as well as guide investors and businesses in making wise investment and finance choices,” he added.
Businesses would need long-term access to finance to strengthen operating cash flow, drive product development initiatives, enhance logistics, expand product promotion coverage, penetrate new markets as well as scale operating capacity to the pre-COVID-19 levels.
The ability of these businesses to access funds readily would positively rub off on economic growth. It would revamp the employment generating capacity of the organised private sector and subsequently impact the gross domestic product level.
Many businesses default to bank loans when they are squeezed financially. But the stringent requirements by the banks and the high-interest rate on such loans remain a big challenge that small and medium businesses sometimes find hard to surmount.
Fluctuating currency exchange rates and inflation trends have further compounded SMEs’ ability to access cheap funding for their operations. It has therefore become apparent that businesses look beyond the commercial banks for their funding needs.
Traditionally, across the globe, capital markets offer an interesting opportunity for businesses that are looking to raise capital for medium to long term financing of their activities.
The stock exchange serves as a financial intermediary between investors and businesses listed on its floor. It is regarded as a trading crucible that links businesses to a large pool of local and foreign investors who are constantly searching for interesting investment opportunities.
These investors are anxious to boost their ROI and will put their monies in stocks that have favourable profit projections. The advantage for businesses on an exchange is that they can access large capital at a lower cost.
Businesses listed on the country’s stock exchange, like Stanbic IBTC, MTN Nigeria, and BUA Foods, among others have an advantage in terms of access to low-cost capital to expand their operations.
BUA Foods Plc’s 18 billion shares, for instance, were recently listed on the exchange at N40. The listing on the stock exchange provided a lever for the BUA Foods business to raise capital and deepen its operating capacity in the pasta, edible oil, sugar, and flour segments of the local food value chain as well as drive its export capabilities. While this move lifted the NGX Exchange (NGX’s) market capitalisation to N720 billion, it yielded a capital gain of 33 per cent for investors in the first week.
MTN Nigeria had a similar remarkable run in the first month of listing. Its shares appreciated from N99 to N129.45, yielding massive gains for investors while mopping up funds for the telecommunications giant to drive its network and mobile money expansion agenda.
Meanwhile, the finance opportunities available at the stock exchange are not restricted to large businesses. Structured small-medium enterprises need funding to navigate the teething challenges in the early growth stages.
Considering how the economy is holding up and the cautious approach of traditional lenders to small businesses, it is time for the segment to explore the capital market in a bid to access long-term finance to take advantage of emerging market opportunities. This is crucial for the survival of the segment.
In fact, there are tailored platforms that meet the capital needs of the SME segment on the floor of the stock exchange. The Growth Board on the NGX provides an alternative route for well-structured small businesses with the potential for growth to list on the exchange. Businesses of all sizes can list on the stock exchange to access cheap and long term tenured equity or capital from the capital market.
As businesses reopen fully for economic activities, and the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement gathers pace, there is hardly a better time for businesses to access the opportunities available on the stock exchange to raise cheap long-term capital for their operations.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Food Concepts Plc neutralized the gains recorded by three securities, returning the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange into the negative territory with a 0.27 per cent loss on Thursday, December 4.
Yesterday, the share price of the parent company of Chicken Republic and PieXpress declined by 34 Kobo to sell at N3.15 per unit compared with the previous day’s N3.49 per unit.
This shrank the market capitalisation of the OTC bourse by N5.72 billion to N2.136 billion from N2.142 trillion and weakened the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) by 9.57 points to 3,571.53 points from 3,581.10 points.
Business Post reports that Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc went down by 50 Kobo to N38.50 per share from N38.00 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc gained 29 Kobo to sell at N55.79 per unit versus N55.50 per unit, and Geo-Fluids Plc added 5 Kobo to close at N4.60 per share compared with Wednesday’s closing price of N4.55 per share.
Trading data indicated that the volume of securities recorded at the session surged by 6,885.3 per cent to 4.3 million units from the 61,570 units posted a day earlier, the value of securities increased by 10,301.7 per cent to N947.2 million from N3.3 million, and the number of deals went up by 146.7 per cent to 37 deals from the 15 deals achieved in the previous trading session.
At the close of business, Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company (InfraCredit) Plc was the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis with the sale of 5.8 billion units for N16.4 billion, trailed by Okitipupa Plc with 170.4 million units worth N8.0 billion, and Air Liquide Plc with 507.5 million units valued at N4.2 billion.
InfraCredit Plc also finished the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units transacted for N16.4 billion, followed by Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc with 1.2 billion units sold for N420.2 million, and Impresit Bakolori Plc with 536.9 million units traded for N524.9 million.
By Dipo Olowookere
The upward trend witnessed at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited in recent sessions continued on Thursday as it further improved by 0.10 per cent.
This was despite investor sentiment turning bearish after the local equity market ended with 23 price gainers and 28 price gainers, indicating a negative market breadth index.
UAC Nigeria gained 10.00 per cent to finish at N88.00, Morison Industries appreciated by 9.94 per cent to N3.54, Ecobank rose by 8.53 per cent to N36.90, and Coronation Insurance grew by 8.47 per cent to N2.56.
On the flip side, Ellah Lakes depreciated by 10.00 per cent to N13.14, Eunisell Nigeria also shed 10.00 per cent to finish at N72.90, Transcorp Hotels slipped by 9.95 per cent to N157.50, Omatek shrank by 9.23 per cent to N1.18, and Guinea Insurance dipped by 8.46 per cent to N1.19.
Yesterday, the All-Share Index (ASI) went up by 152.28 points to 145,476.15 points from 145,323.87 points and the market capitalisation chalked up N97 billion to finish at N92.726 trillion compared with the previous day’s N92.629 trillion.
Customs Street was bubbling with activities on Thursday, though the trading volume and value slightly went down, according to data.
A total of 1.9 billion stocks worth N19.2 billion exchanged hands in 23,369 deals during the session versus the N2.3 billion valued at N21.0 billion traded in 21,513 deals a day earlier.
This showed that the number of deals increased by 8.63 per cent, the volume of transactions depleted by 17.39 per cent, and the value of trades decreased by 8.57 per cent.
For another trading day, eTranzact led the activity chart with 1.6 billion units sold for N6.4 billion, Fidelity Bank traded 31.0 million units worth N589.3 million, GTCO exchanged 28.3 million units valued at N2.5 billion, Zenith Bank transacted 27.1 million units for N1.6 billion, and Ecobank traded 21.9 million units worth N744.3 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira marginally depreciated against the United States Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) on Thursday, December 4 amid renewed forex pressure associated with December.
At the official market yesterday, the Nigerian currency lost 0.01 per cent or 18 Kobo against the Dollar to close at N1,447.83/$1 compared with the previous day’s N1,447.65/$1.
It was not a different scenario with the local currency in the same market segment against the Pound Sterling as it further shed N15.43 to sell for N1,930.97/£1 versus Wednesday’s closing price of N1,925.08/£1 and declined against the Euro by 20 Kobo to finish at N1,688.74/€1 compared with the preceding session’s N1,688.54/€1.
Similarly, the Nigerian Naira lost N5 against the greenback in the black market to quote at N1,465/$1 compared with the previous day’s value of N1,460/$1 but closed flat against the Dollar at the GTBank FX counter at N1,453/$1.
Fluctuations in trading range is expected to continue during the festive season as traders expect the Nigerian currency to be stable, supported by intervention s by to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)in the face of steady dollar demand.
Support is also expected in coming weeks as seasonal activities, particularly the stylised “Detty December” festivities, will see inflows that will give the Naira a boost after it depreciated mildly last month, according to a new report.
“As the festive Detty December season intensifies, inbound travel, tourism spending, and diaspora inflows are expected to provide moderate support for FX liquidity,” analysts at the research unit of FMDA said in its latest monthly report for November.
Traders cited by Reuters expect that the Naira will trade within a band of N1,443-N1,450 next week, buoyed by improved FX interventions by the apex bank.
Meanwhile, the crypto market was down as the US Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, core PCE, likely rose in September—moving in the wrong direction. However, volatility indices show no signs of major turbulence.
If the actual figure matches estimates, it would mark 55 straight months of inflation above the US central bank’s 2 per cent target. The sticky inflation would strengthen the hawkish policymakers, who are in favour of slower rate cuts.
Ripple (XRP) depreciated by 4.5 per cent to $2.08, Solana (SOL) went down by 3.8 per cent to $138.11, Litecoin (LTC) shrank by 3.1 per cent to $83.23, Dogecoin (DOGE) slid by 2.5 per cent to $0.1463, Cardano (ADA) declined by 2.1 per cent to $0.4368, Bitcoin (BTC) fell by 0.9 per cent to $91,975.45, Binance Coin (BNB) crumbled by 0.9 per cent to $899.41, and Ethereum (ETH) dropped by 0.7 per cent to $3,156.44, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closed flat at $1.00 apiece.
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