Economy
US Stocks Point North Amid Political Uncertainty
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The major US index futures are pointing to a higher opening on Thursday following the lacklustre performance seen in the previous session.
The markets may benefit from recent upward momentum, which has helped propel the major averages to new record highs. Buying interest may be somewhat subdued, however, as political uncertainty could keep some traders on the sidelines.
Stocks showed a lack of direction throughout the trading session on Wednesday before ending the day little changed. Despite the choppy trading on the day, the Dow still managed to climb to another new record closing high.
The major averages eventually ended the day on opposite sides of the unchanged line. While the Dow rose 32.60 points or 0.2 percent to 20,775.60, the Nasdaq edged down 5.32 points or 0.1 percent to 5,860.63 and the S&P 500 dipped 2.56 points or 0.1 percent to 2,362.82.
The lacklustre close on Wall Street came following the release of the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s latest monetary policy meeting.
The minutes said many meeting participants expressed the view that it might be appropriate to raise interest rates again fairly soon if incoming data on the labour market and inflation is in line with or stronger than current expectations.
A few participants noted that continuing to remove policy accommodation in a timely manner, potentially at an upcoming meeting, would allow the Fed greater flexibility in responding to subsequent changes in economic conditions, the minutes said.
While some participants warned of the risk of a sizable undershooting of the longer-run normal unemployment rate, others continued to see downside risks to inflation.
Earlier in the day, the National Association of Realtors released a report showing that existing home sales rebounded by more than expected in the month of January.
NAR said existing home sales surged up by 3.3 percent to an annual rate of 5.69 million in January after falling by 1.6 percent to a revised 5.51 million in December.
Economists had expected existing home sales to climb to an annual rate of 5.54 million from the 5.49 million originally reported for the previous month.
With the bigger than expected increase, existing home sales climbed to their highest level since reaching 5.79 million in February of 2007.
Most of the major sectors ended the day showing only modest moves, contributing to the lackluster close by the broader markets.
Energy stocks saw considerable weakness, however, with a drop by the price of crude oil weighing on the sector. Reflecting the weakness in the energy sector, the NYSE Arca Natural Gas Index plunged by 2.5 percent, the Philadelphia Oil Service Index slumped by 1.9 percent and the NYSE Arca Oil & Gas Index dropped by 1.5 percent.
Notable weakness was also visible among gold stocks, as reflected by the 1.8 percent loss posted by the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index. Steel and biotechnology stocks also moved to the downside on the day, while some strength was visible among chemical stocks.
Investors Hub
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, has said ongoing reforms and strategic policy implementation in Nigeria’s petroleum sector are driving significant investments and strengthening the country’s position as a leading energy destination in Africa.
Mr Lokpobiri stated this at the Management Retreat of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, where he stressed the need for improved institutional performance and accountability to sustain growth in the sector.
According to the Minister, the federal government has deliberately pursued far-reaching reforms aimed at creating a stable and investor-friendly environment capable of attracting local and foreign capital into the oil and gas industry.
“From far-reaching institutional reforms to the effective implementation of strategic policies, we have remained committed to carrying all stakeholders along, fostering a conducive environment for investments to flourish,” Mr Lokpobiri said.
“As a result, our petroleum sector has witnessed significant investments that continue to strengthen Nigeria’s position as a leading energy destination.”
The Minister noted that the gains recorded in the sector were the product of collective efforts across the Ministry and its agencies, commending staff for their dedication and professionalism.
“The Management Retreat of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources provided an important platform to reiterate that these accomplishments would not have been possible without the collective dedication, professionalism and teamwork of every staff member across the Ministry and its agencies,” he stated.
Mr Lokpobiri said the retreat, themed Driving Institutional Performance and Accountability in the Petroleum Sector for Sustainable National Development, underscored the importance of continuous improvement in service delivery and operational efficiency.
Drawing lessons from the theme, he urged officials of the Ministry and regulatory agencies to intensify efforts toward enhancing institutional effectiveness and strengthening governance frameworks.
“I encouraged that we must redouble our efforts, continuously improve the quality of our services, and strengthen institutional performance,” he said.
The Minister further emphasised the continued relevance of fossil fuels in the global energy mix, stressing that Nigeria must leverage its hydrocarbon resources to drive economic growth while ensuring citizens benefit from ongoing reforms.
“With fossil fuel as the dominant source of energy, we must ensure that Nigerians experience the benefits of our progress and that Nigeria remains the preferred investment destination in Africa and a globally competitive hub for energy investments,” Mr Lokpobiri added.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The N3.2 billion rights issue of Universal Insurance Plc has been extended by almost two weeks after securing regulatory approval.
The exercise was earlier scheduled to close on June 10, 2026, but will now close on Monday, June 22, 2026.
The extension was granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after a request from the underwriting organisation.
In the rights issue, Universal Insurance is offering to shareholders 2,666,666,667 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N1.20 per share on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing six ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Monday, March 30, 2026.
Subscription for the acquisition of the company’s extra shares opened on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
The extension gives investors more time to increase their stake in the insurance firm, which intends to use proceeds from the exercise to boost its capital base, as mandated by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).
Insurance companies operating in Nigeria have been given till July 31, 2026, to shore up their capital base or pack up. Operators can also explore a merger if they wish.
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited opened its doors to market participants in four days last week as a result of a public holiday observed on Friday, June 12, for 2026 Democracy Day in the country.
In the week, investors bought and sold 4.964 billion shares worth N207.521 billion in 235,966 deals, as against the 3.966 billion shares valued at N175.659 billion that exchanged hands in 343,587 deals a week earlier.
Analysis showed that the financial services industry led the activity chart with 4.116 billion shares valued at N84.607 billion in 96,165 deals, contributing 82.92 per cent and 40.77 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
The services sector transacted 232.479 million shares worth N4.955 billion in 17,614 deals, while the industrial goods segment exchanged 144.988 million shares worth N39.077 billion in 24,775 deals.
Sterling Holdings, FCMB, and Access Holdings were the most traded stocks with 2.883 billion units sold for N36.188 billion in 15,533 deals, accounting for 58.09 per cent and 17.44 per cent of the total trading volume and value, respectively.
A total of 40 equities appreciated in the week versus 23 equities in the previous week, 53 equities depreciated versus 65 equities a week earlier, and 53 equities remained unchanged versus 58 equities in the preceding week.
ABC Transport was the best-performing equity for the week after it gained 25.60 per cent to trade at N7.80, Consolidated Hallmark appreciated by 23.13 per cent to N8.25, Abbey Mortgage Bank rose by 21.93 per cent to N11.40, Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank grew by 20.32 per cent to N11.25, and Austin Laz soared by 15.16 per cent to N4.33.
The worst-performing equity last week was Fidson Healthcare because of its 25.86 per cent loss, closing at N101.20. Neimeth declined by 19.14 per cent to N8.55, Union Homes REIT shed 17.36 per cent to close at N70.00, SUNU Assurances slipped by 11.38 per cent to N3.97, and Unilever Nigeria dropped 10.26 per cent to trade at N140.00.
As for the index movement, the All-Share Index (ASI) and the market capitalisation chalked up 0.88 per cent each to settle at 244,738.74 points and N156.970 trillion, respectively.
Similarly, all other indices finished higher apart from the pension, AFR Bank Value, MERI Growth, MERI Value, consumer goods, Lotus II, industrial goods, sovereign bond and commodity indices, which fell by 0.03 per cent, 1.20 per cent, 0.21 per cent, 1.61 per cent, 0.54 per cent, 0.51 per cent, 1.00 per cent, 2.04 per cent and 0.34 per cent, respectively.
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