Economy
Powell Congressional Testimony in Focus on Wall Street
By Investors Hub
The major U.S. index futures are pointing to a modestly lower opening on Tuesday, with stocks likely to give back some ground following the rally seen over the two previous sessions.
The downward momentum on Wall Street comes following the release of new Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell?s prepared remarks before the House Financial Services Committee.
Powell reiterated the Fed?s view that further gradual increases in interest rates will best promote attainment of both of the central bank?s dual objectives.
?While many factors shape the economic outlook, some of the headwinds the U.S. economy faced in previous years have turned into tailwinds,? Powell says in his prepared remarks.
He added, ?In particular, fiscal policy has become more stimulative and foreign demand for U.S. exports is on a firmer trajectory.?
Powell also said financial conditions remain accommodative despite recent volatility and highlighted strong consumer spending and job growth.
Extending the rally seen last Friday, stocks moved sharply higher over the course of the trading session on Monday. With the continued strength on the day, the major averages further offset the sell-off seen earlier this month.
The major averages finished the session firmly in positive territory. The Dow soared 399.28 points or 1.6 percent to 25,709.27, the Nasdaq jumped 84.07 points or 1.2 percent to 7,421.46 and the S&P 500 surged up 32.30 points or 1.2 percent to 2,779.60.
A continued drop by treasury yields contributed to the strength on Wall Street, as the ten-year yield pulled back further off the ten-year closing high set last Wednesday.
The decrease by treasury yields was partly in reaction to dovish comments by St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard.
Bullard, who is not a voting member of the Fed’s policy committee this year, warned against aggressive interest rate hikes that are not supported by incoming data.
“If the Committee raises the policy rate substantially from here without other changes in the data, the policy setting could become restrictive,” Bullard said at a National Association of Business Economics conference.
The rally on Wall Street came even as traders looked ahead to congressional testimony by new Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Powell is scheduled to testify before the House Financial Services Committee on the Fed’s Semiannual Monetary Policy Report on Tuesday.
On the U.S. economic front, the Commerce Department released a report unexpectedly showing a steep drop in new home sales in January.
The report said new home sales plunged by 7.8 percent to an annual rate of 593,000 in January after slumping by 7.6 percent to an upwardly revised 643,000 in December.
The continued decrease surprised economists, who had expected new home sales to jump by 3.2 percent to a rate of 645,000 from the 625,000 originally reported for the previous month.
Telecom stocks showed a substantial move to the upside on the day, resulting in a 4 percent jump by the NYSE Arca Telecom Index. With the sharp increase on the day, the index reached its best closing level in over a year.
Arista Networks (ANET), Acacia Communications (ACIA) and Cincinnati Bell (CBB) turned in some of the telecom sector’s best performances.
Significant strength was also visible among semiconductor stocks, as reflected by the 2.2 percent gain posted by the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. The gain lifted the index to a one-month closing high.
Computer hardware stocks also saw considerable strength, with the NYSE Arca Computer Hardware Index surging up by 1.9 percent.
HP Inc. (HPQ) extended the upward move seen last Friday after JPMorgan Chase upgraded its rating on the computer and printer maker’s stock to Overweight from Neutral.
Transportation, brokerage and pharmaceutical stocks also moved notably higher, reflecting another day of broad based buying interest on Wall Street.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Oil was up more than 3 per cent on Tuesday as renewed Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) heightened concerns about the worsening outlook for global supply.
Brent crude futures appreciated by $3.21 or 3.2 per cent to $103.42 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained $2.71 or 2.9 per cent to trade at $96.21 per barrel.
Prices had fallen previously after some vessels sailed through the critical Strait of Hormuz, a vital gateway for about 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas trade
The Iran war shows no signs of abating as it renewed attacks on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, causing oil loading at the port of Fujairah to be at least partly halted after the third attack in four days ignited a fire at the export terminal.
Fujairah, located on the Gulf of Oman just outside the Strait of Hormuz, is a critical exit point for oil volumes equivalent to roughly 1 per cent of global demand.
The attacks on oil installations by Iran and the ongoing disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have traders worried for long-term impairment to supply that could keep prices elevated.
The effective closure of the strait has forced the UAE, which is the third-largest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), to reduce its output by more than half.
Several allies of the US rebuffed President Donald Trump’s call on Monday to send warships to escort shipping through the strait.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would never take part in operations to unblock the strait, and would only participate in a coalition that could provide freedom of navigation once hostilities ended.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration reiterated its position that they see the Iran conflict lasting weeks, not months.
The head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Mr Fatih Birol, has suggested member countries could release more oil, in addition to the 400 million barrels they have already agreed to draw from strategic reserves.
By Adedapo Adesanya
A 10 per cent equity stake has been acquired by Odu’a Investment Company Limited in a subsidiary of FCMB Group Plc, FCMB Pensions Limited.
The move is aimed at strengthening its presence in Nigeria’s growing pension industry.
The company disclosed that the transaction was completed after receiving all required regulatory approvals from the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), while the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also been duly notified.
Odu’a Investment said the acquisition represents a strategic investment in a resilient and steadily expanding segment of Nigeria’s financial services sector.
The company added that the deal also reinforces FCMB Pensions’ shareholder base through the entry of a long-term institutional investor.
Chairman of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Mr Bimbo Ashiru, said the investment aligns with the organisation’s strategy of partnering with strong institutions operating in sectors critical to Nigeria’s long-term economic stability.
“This investment reflects Odu’a’s strategy of partnering with strong institutions operating in sectors that are central to Nigeria’s long-term economic stability and growth,” he said in a statement.
“The pension industry plays a critical role in mobilising long-term savings and strengthening the financial system. FCMB Pensions has built a solid platform serving contributors across Nigeria, and we see a significant opportunity to support its continued growth and impact,” he added.
Also commenting on the transaction, the Managing Director of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Mr Abdulrahman Yinusa, described the deal as a vote of confidence in FCMB Pensions’ leadership and long-term prospects.
“Our partnership with FCMB Group Plc reflects confidence in FCMB Pensions’ strategy, leadership, and long-term potential. Together, we will work to expand its reach, support its strategic objectives, and deliver sustained value to contributors and other stakeholders,” Mr Yinusa said.
The investment brings together two established institutions with complementary strengths and a shared focus on long-term value creation. According to the company, the partnership positions FCMB Pensions to deepen market penetration and enhance service delivery within Nigeria’s contributory pension scheme.
Odu’a Investment Company Limited is an investment holding company jointly owned by the governments of the six South-West states of Nigeria.
The firm manages a diversified portfolio spanning real estate, financial services, hospitality, agriculture, and industrial investments, with a mandate to generate sustainable economic value and support regional development.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The chief executive of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc, Mr Temi Popoola, has said Nigeria’s capital market is undergoing a re-rating as global investors begin to reassess the country’s economic trajectory and investment potential.
“What we are seeing is a gradual re-rating of Nigeria. investors are beginning to look at the data more closely, the returns, the reforms, and the improving macroeconomic direction, and that is changing sentiment,” he said during a live interview on BBC Newsday in London.
He is in the United Kingdom as part of broader investor and stakeholder engagements during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Buckingham Palace.
Mr Popoola explained that Nigeria’s equity market has delivered strong returns in recent months, positioning it more competitively among emerging and frontier markets. According to him, this performance is helping to recalibrate long-held risk perceptions and attract renewed interest from international investors.
He added that improvements in Nigeria’s energy landscape, including increased domestic refining capacity and ongoing sector reforms, are helping to reduce the economy’s exposure to external oil price shocks, further strengthening investor confidence.
Mr Popoola emphasised that beyond short-term market movements, consistency in policy implementation will be critical in sustaining this shift in perception. “Global capital responds to clarity and consistency. As those elements become more evident, Nigeria naturally becomes more investable.”
He also highlighted the importance of sustained engagement with global financial centres, noting that platforms such as London play a key role in connecting Nigeria’s capital market to international pools of capital.
According to him, Nigeria’s evolving market structure, combined with ongoing reforms, is strengthening its position as a viable destination for long-term investment. “There is a broader recognition that Nigeria offers significant opportunities. The focus now is ensuring that this recognition translates into sustained capital flows.”
The NGX group chief concluded that Nigeria’s capital market is increasingly being viewed through a more balanced and data-driven lens, reflecting both its resilience and its long-term growth potential.
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