Economy
Asian Equities Fall in Thin Holiday Trade
By Investors Hub
Most Asian stocks fell on Tuesday in thin holiday trade as markets in China and Taiwan remained closed for the Lunar New Year holidays.
In the absence of any lead from Wall Street and amid weak cues from Europe, investors awaited minutes from the latest Federal Open Market Committee meeting and a slew of speeches by Fed officials this week to assess the outlook for rate tightening.
Japanese shares fell sharply after three successive days of gains. The Nikkei average tumbled 224.11 points or 1.01 percent to 21,925.10 after climbing 2 percent in the previous session. The broader Topix index closed 0.72 percent lower at 1,762.45.
Market heavyweight Fast Retailing lost 2.2 percent, Fanuc shed 2.5 percent and SoftBank Corp declined 0.9 percent.
Canon, Toyota Motor and Honda Motor fell 1-2 percent as the yen traded firm ahead of the FOMC meeting minutes coming out on Wednesday.
Banks Mitsubishi UFJ Financial and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial ended down over 1 percent while insurer T&D Holdings retreated 2.3 percent.
Australian shares ended in the red, dragged down by banks and miners. The S&P/ASX200 index ended marginally lower at 5,940.90 while the broader All Ordinaries index closed flat with a positive bias.
ANZ Bank slid 0.3 percent despite reporting reported a fall in impaired assets in the first quarter. The other three banks fell between 0.2 percent and 0.8 percent while Insurance Australia Group lost over 1 percent.
Mining heavyweights BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto dropped around half a percent each to extend losses for the second straight session. Super Retail Group plummeted as much as 14.5 percent after it decided to acquire adventure wear chain Macpac.
Woodside Petroleum advanced 1.6 percent and Origin Energy added 1 percent as oil hovered near two-week highs on rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
On the economic front, Australia’s consumer confidence weakened for the second straight time during the week ended February 18, a weekly survey compiled by the ANZ bank and Roy Morgan Research showed.
Separately, minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia’s February 6 meeting revealed that board members expect the economy to grow more or less on par with expectations.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The pre-registration training and examination for capital market operators (CMOs) for the second quarter of 2026 has been postponed.
Business Post gathered that the new date for the exercise is now Monday, June 15, 2026.
This information was disclosed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) through a circular on Monday, June 8, 2026.
The Nigerian capital market regulator stated that this postponement has also resulted in the extension of the deadline for registration to Friday, June 12, 2026.
In the notice today, the SEC expressed its regret for the inconvenience this action may cause operators, who had prepared for the initial date of the training and examination.
“Further to the recent circular on Q2 2026 Pre-registration Training and Examination, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hereby informs all eligible applicants for the Q2 2026 Pre-registration Training and Examination that the commencement date has been postponed to Monday, June 15, 2026.
“Registration on the designated portal has also been extended to Friday, June 12, 2026. All other conditions contained in the circular remain unchanged.
“The commission regrets any inconvenience this postponement may cause and appreciates the understanding of all applicants,” the disclosure noted.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the leading healthcare firms in Nigeria, Fidson Healthcare Plc, has listed additional shares on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The new stocks absorbed into the stock market were 600 million units, raising the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Fidson to 3,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 2,400,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
The fresh equities came from the company’s rights issue of 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N35.00 per share.
They were issued to existing investors on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing four ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Confirming the development, the regulator in a notice said, “Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of Fidson Healthcare Plc were on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
“The additional shares arose from the company’s rights issue of 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N35.00 per share on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing four ordinary shares held as at the close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
“With the listing of the additional 600,000,000 ordinary shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Fidson Healthcare Plc have now increased from 2,400,000,000 to 3,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
This news will surely excite local contractors with verified claims of N100 million or less, as the federal government has approved their payments.
This approval for the disbursement was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele.
This followed a verification and reconciliation exercise designed to ensure only validated claims qualify for payment.
The beneficiaries cover contractors across multiple ministries, departments and agencies. The release of the funds is expected to enable contractors to return to project sites, pay workers, settle suppliers and meet outstanding financial commitments.
In an announcement on Monday, the Federal Ministry of Finance also said this latest batch of payments would ease liquidity pressure on small businesses and accelerate economic activity nationwide.
It was noted that the payments for verified claims of N100 million below were strategically done to spread economic impact broadly rather than concentrate disbursements among a handful of large firms.
The payments form part of a broader push to clear inherited contractor obligations, with over N700 billion verified in recent months.
“For many beneficiaries, the release of funds represents more than a financial transaction. It provides the certainty needed to sustain operations, preserve jobs, complete ongoing projects, and contribute to economic recovery and growth,” the ministry said in a statement.
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