By Adedapo Adesanya

Crude oil depreciated on Monday as some bearish economic news from the United States and Germany offset support from a weaker US Dollar and forecasts for increased heating demand for energy from a winter storm.

Consequently, Brent futures fell by 21 cents or 0.3 per cent to settle at $76.30 a barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude depleted by 40 cents or 0.5 per cent to trade at $73.56 per barrel.

In the US, the world’s biggest economy, new orders for manufactured goods fell in November amid weakness in demand for commercial aircraft while business spending on equipment appeared to have slowed in the fourth quarter, according to data from the Commerce Department’s Census Bureau.

In Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, annual inflation rose more than forecast in December due to higher food prices and a smaller drop in energy prices than in previous months.

To combat higher inflation, central banks often boost interest rates, which can slow economic growth and demand for energy.

Meanwhile, the market is looking at the weather as a winter storm occured across the US, causing prices for natural gas and heating fuel to spike 10 per cent on Monday, while diesel futures closed at their highest level since October.

Severe travel disruptions were expected across the storm’s path and officials urged drivers to stay off the roads if possible.

Governors in several states, including Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland, have declared states of emergency.

Support also came as the US Dollar slumped more than 1 per cent against a basket of other currencies as President-elect Donald Trump reportedly mulled tariffs that would only be applied to critical imports, potentially a relief for countries that were expecting broader levies.

The US Dollar, however, pared much of that decline after Mr Trump denied the newspaper report.

A weaker US currency makes dollar-priced commodities like oil cheaper for buyers using other currencies.

In China, the world’s second-biggest economy, the Yuan ended the domestic session at its weakest level in 16 months against the US Dollar, weighed down by trade concerns.

In a sign of firmer demand expectations, Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, raised crude prices for Asian buyers in February for the first time in three months.

Sudan, meanwhile, lifted a nearly year-long force majeure on the transport of crude oil from its neighbour South Sudan to a port on the Red Sea after security conditions improved.

Also, the Biden administration plans to impose more sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, taking aim at its oil revenues with action against tankers carrying Russian crude

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has listed mainstreaming the Nigerian capital market into the economy as its top priority in 2025.

Mr Emomotimi Agama, the Director General of SEC, said this in his New Year message to the capital market community on Monday.

He also said the commission would intensify efforts to eliminate Ponzi and pyramid schemes, thereby fostering an environment for genuine investment opportunities to thrive in 2025.

He said that protecting investors remained a cornerstone of the commission’s mission.

Mr Agama also said that the commission would prioritise key initiatives aimed at deepening market integrity, enhancing investor confidence and driving economic growth.

According to him, “SEC is positioned with a dual mandate in regulating and developing the capital market in Nigeria.

“Naturally, our top priority in 2025 will cut across the dual mandate. For us, mainstreaming the Nigerian Capital Market into the economy is very vital.

“Enforcement is the backbone of effective regulation. We are revamping our investigative processes to enhance efficiency and hold bad actors accountable more decisively.

“Insider trading undermines activities and dampens market fairness. By revising our regulatory framework, we aim to strengthen detection, prevention, and accountability mechanisms.

“Transparency is at the heart of investors confidence and capital markets. We will introduce measures to ensure greater visibility and trust in securities transactions,” he stated.

The SEC director-general added that to resolve market disputes efficiently and fairly, the commission was focusing on enhancing the operations of the Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST).

He noted that these efforts aim to make the tribunal more effective in delivering timely resolutions, thereby improving overall efficiency in the process.

Mr Agama stated that key focus for the commission in 2025 is strengthening the legal framework of the commodities market to enable it attain its full potential of aiding economic development.

He said the commodities market is a major area of interest for SEC, adding that Nigeria is purely an agrarian nation.

The director-general said that taking that comparative advantage to the next level, is something that the commission is proud to be part of.

Mr Agama said this year, SEC would focus on reinforcing the legal and regulatory structures that support growth to create a solid foundation for the vibrant commodities ecosystem, be it soft or hard commodity.

“More so, when we have a plethora of commodities all over Nigeria. SEC as a partner in development will make sure that we make the difference,” he said.

Mr Agama also said that these initiatives reflect the commission’s vision for a stronger and more inclusive capital market in 2025, adding that SEC is committed to building wealth, instilling confidence and making impacts.

“As we embark on this journey, I invite all stakeholders to work with us in achieving these goals.

“Together, we can unlock the potentials of the Nigerian capital market and make this a defining year for our economy.

“What we intend to do, is to steer the capital market towards a direction that ensures that development gets to the doorstep of every Nigerian.”

By Adedapo Adesanya

Seven price gainers ensured that the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange ended the first trading week of the year 2025 in the positive territory, with a 0.55 per cent gain.

In the four-day trading week, the market capitalisation of the bourse went up by N9.74 billion to N1.046 trillion from the N1.036 trillion recorded in the last trading week of 2024, as the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) increased by 16.74 points to finish at 3,052.34 points, in contrast to the 3,035.61 points achieved in Week 52 of last year.

Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc topped the advancers’ chart after it closed higher by 33.3 per cent to close at 20 Kobo per unit versus 15 Kobo per unit, UBN Property Plc grew by 10 per cent to end at N1.98 per share compared with the previous week’s N1.80 share and Air Liquide Plc also gained 10 per cent to end at N8.80 per unit against the former value of N8.00 per unit.

Further, 11 Plc rose by 7.9 per cent to N232.10 per share from N215.00 per share, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc improved by 4.8 per cent to N23.05 per unit from N22.00 per unit, Food Concepts Plc jumped by 1.3 per cent to close at N1.60 per share versus N1.58 per share, and Geo-Fluids Plc appreciated by 0.8 per cent to N4.89 per unit versus N4.85 per unit.

On the flip side, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc shed 9.3 per cent to N39.76 per share from N43.84 per share, and Acorn Petroleum Plc depreciated by 9.1 per cent to N1.40 per unit from N1.54 per unit.

Last week, the volume of equities transacted went down by 41.8 per cent to 12.44 million units from 21.37 million units, the value of securities traded by investors slumped by 46.7 per cent to N61.62 million from N115.8 million, and the number of deals declined by 30.99 per cent to 49 deals from 71 deals.

FrieslandCampina Wamco Plc was the busiest stock in the week by value with N55.8 million, IGI Plc recorded N2.1 million, 11 Plc posted N1.5 million, CSCS Plc traded N1.1 million, and Geo-Fluids Plc recorded N0.59 million.

By volume, IGI Plc topped with 55.8 million units, FrieslandCampina Wamco Plc transacted 1.4 million units, UBN Property Plc recorded 0.276 million, Geo-Fluids Plc traded 0.120 million units, and CSCS Plc exchanged 0.047 million units.