Economy
Wall Street May React Negatively to Earnings News
By Investors Hub
Major US index futures are pointing to a lower opening on Thursday following the upward trend seen over the past several sessions.
Profit taking may contribute to early weakness on Wall Street after the major averages once again climbed to new record closing highs in the previous session.
A negative reaction to the latest batch of earnings news may inspire traders to cash in on the recent strength in the markets.
While a jump by shares of IBM (IBM) contributed to a notable advance by the Dow, the broader Nasdaq and S&P 500 spent much of the trading day on Wednesday lingering near the unchanged line. The major averages still all reached new record closing highs.
The major averages all closed in positive territory, although the Dow outperformed its counterparts by a wide margin. The Dow climbed 160.16 points or 0.7 percent to 23,157.60, while the Nasdaq inched up 0.56 points or less than 0.1 percent to 6,624.22 and the S&P 500 ticked up 1.90 points or 0.1 percent to 2,561.26.
IBM surged up by 8.9 percent after the tech giant reported third quarter results that exceeded analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines.
The advance by the Dow also reflected a notable rebound by shares of Goldman Sachs (GS), which climbed by 2.5 percent.
The lack of direction shown by the broader markets came as traders seemed reluctant to make significant moves following the recent upward trend on Wall Street.
In economic news, the Commerce Department released a report showing a much bigger than expected slump in housing starts in the month of September.
The Commerce Department said housing starts plunged by 4.7 percent to an annual rate of 1.127 million in September from the revised August estimate of 1.183 million. Housing starts had been expected to edge down by 0.5 percent.
With the Hurricanes Harvey and Irma disrupting single-family home construction in the South, housing starts slumped to their lowest level since September of 2016.
Building permits, an indicator of future housing demand, also tumbled by 4.5 percent to an annual rate of 1.215 million in September from a revised 1.272 million in August. Economists had expected building permits to drop by 2.9 percent.
Later in the day, the Federal Reserve released its Beige Book, a compilation of anecdotal evidence on economic conditions in the twelve Fed districts.
The Beige Book said reports from the twelve districts indicated that economic activity increased in September through early October, with the pace of growth split between modest and moderate.
The Fed noted the Richmond, Atlanta, and Dallas Districts reported major disruptions from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in some areas and sectors.
Employment growth was described as modest on balance, while the Fed said price pressures also remained modest since the previous report.
Reflecting the lackluster performance by the broader markets, most of the major sectors ended the day showing only modest moves.
Trucking stocks showed a significant move to the upside, however, with the Dow Jones Trucking Index climbing by 1.6 percent. The index rebounded after closing lower for the three straight sessions.
YRC Worldwide (YRCW), Ryder (R), and Knight-Swift Transportation (KNX) turned in some of the trucking sector’s best performances.
Electronic storage and financial stocks also saw some strength on the day, although buying interest was relatively subdued.
On the other hand, oil service stocks came under pressure, dragging the Philadelphia Oil Service Index down by 2.1 percent. With the drop, the index fell to its lowest closing level in almost a month.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has formally issued an operational licence to an insurance technology (insurtech) company, CBI Partnering Insurtech Limited.
It was the first issued by the regulator in Nigeria, and it is aimed at opening up the sub-sector of the underwriting industry to boost innovation and services.
This development underscores NAICOM’s regulatory leadership in fostering innovation within a structured and consumer-focused insurance ecosystem.
The licence was presented during a formal handover ceremony, where the commission reiterated its commitment to advancing innovation, regulatory reform, and policyholder protection across the insurance sector.
In his remarks, the Deputy Commissioner for Insurance, Finance and Administration, Mr Ekerete Ola Gam-Ikon, highlighted the agency’s ongoing efforts to align Nigeria’s insurance industry with global best practices.
He referenced the recent enactment of the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025, alongside the Commission’s pioneering insurtech guidelines, as some of the key pillars driving this transformation.
He noted that fostering innovation within a robust and well-governed regulatory framework remains a core strategic priority for the commission.
Mr Ekerete further emphasised that the licence is granted subject to strict compliance with regulatory and ethical standards, reinforcing NAICOM’s dual mandate of enabling innovation while safeguarding policyholders’ interests.
He also pointed to the growing international recognition of Nigeria’s regulatory approach, particularly in leveraging technology to accelerate insurance sector development.
While formally presenting the licence, he stated, “This milestone reflects the commission’s commitment to responsibly nurturing innovation across the insurance value chain.
“We congratulate CBI Partnering Insurtech Ltd and expect full compliance with all applicable regulations. This licence carries an obligation to uphold the highest standards of governance and ethical conduct.
“NAICOM remains committed to supporting the growth of insurtech while protecting the interests of Nigerians.”
In response, the Managing Director of CBI, Mr Suleiman Olalekan Ajani, expressed appreciation to NAICOM for its guidance and rigorous licensing process, stating:
“We are honoured to receive this licence from NAICOM. The Commission’s robust regulatory framework provides the foundation for us to scale strategic partnerships and deliver technology-driven insurance solutions that prioritise consumer trust, transparency, and protection.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange ended the first trading day of the week on a positive note, with a 0.39 per cent appreciation on Monday, May 25.
The positive vibe raised the market capitalisation of the trading platform by N10.11 billion to N2.571 trillion from last Friday’s N2.561 trillion, and lifted the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) by 16.89 points to 4,298.17 points from the previous 4,281.28 points.
Business Post reports that the bourse recorded three appreciating securities and one depreciating stock at the close of transactions, with the sole price decliner being 11 Plc, which lost N23.43 to sell at N221.10 per share compared with the preceding session’s N244.53 per share.
Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS) Plc gained N3.78 yesterday to trade at N74.85 per unit versus the previous price of N71.07 per unit, NASD Plc improved its price by N2.86 to N37.36 per share from N34.50 per share, and FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc grew by 33 Kobo to N180.00 per unit from N179.67 per unit.
The volume of trades jumped by 153.1 per cent during the session to 59.2 million units from the preceding session’s 590,339 units, but the value of transactions fell by 37.9 per cent to N59.3 million from the N95.3 million achieved last Friday, and the number of deals contracted by 10 per cent to 27 deals from 30 deals.
Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units traded for N8.4 billion, trailed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units sold for N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 61.2 million units exchanged for N4.1 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the trading day as the most traded equity by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units valued at N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units exchanged for N415.7 million.
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited ended in the green territory on Monday after it chalked up 0.57 per cent on the back of renewed buying interest in financial equities.
The local stock exchange witnessed the insurance and the banking counters closing higher by 0.54 per cent and 0.08 per cent, respectively, amid profit-taking in the others. The energy index shed 1.77 per cent and the consumer goods sector depreciated by 0.26 per cent, while the industrial goods industry was flat.
At the close of business, the All-Share Index (ASI) went up by 1,412.65 points to 251,125.02 points from 249,712.37 points, and the market capitalisation soared by N906 billion to N160.983 trillion from N160.077 trillion.
Investor sentiment was bullish yesterday after Customs Street ended with 35 price gainers and 30 price losers, indicating a positive market breadth index.
Airtel Africa surged 10.00 per cent to N3,655.70, International Energy Insurance advanced by 9.68 per cent to N3.74, Sovereign Trust Insurance went up by 9.65 per cent to N2.50, Caverton rose by 9.63 per cent to N7.40, and VFD Group gained 9.55 per cent to close at N10.90.
Conversely, McNichols lost 10.00 per cent to finish at N7.20, The Initiates dropped 9.91 per cent to trade at N30.45, Learn Africa slipped by 9.69 per cent to N11.65, Zichis crashed by 7.93 per cent to N30.98, and May and Baker declined by 6.60 per cent to N46.70.
During the trading day, market participants transacted 629.4 million shares worth N40.9 billion in 82,434 deals compared with the 711.9 million shares valued at 29.1 billion traded in 62,386 deals last Friday, implying a decline in the trading volume by 11.59 per cent, and a rise in the trading value and number of deals by 40.55 per cent and 32.14 per cent, respectively.
Access Holdings was the busiest equity for the session with a turnover of 61.3 million units valued at N1.5 billion. Zenith Bank traded 37.9 million units worth N5.0 billion, Fidelity Bank sold 35.8 million units for N851.2 million, Japaul exchanged 24.7 million units valued at N90.9 million, and Tantalizers transacted 22.8 million units worth N103.2 million.
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