Economy
Nigeria Grows Foreign Capital Inflows by 594% to $6.3b in Three Months
By Dipo Olowookere
Data released on Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that the total value of capital imported into Nigeria in the first quarter of this year stood at $6.3 billion.
This, the stats office noted indicated a continuous growth in total Capital Importation into Nigeria in the fourth consecutive quarterly increase since Q2 2017.
NBS disclosed that $6.3 billion worth of the foreign capital attracted by the Africa’s largest market represented a year-on-year increase of 594.03 percent and a 17.11 percent growth over the figure reported in the previous quarter.
Business Post reports that this increase in capital inflow in the first three months of 2018 was driven mainly by Portfolio Investment, which grew from $3.5 billion in the previous quarter to $4.6 billion, accounting for 72.42 percent of the total Capital Importation during the quarter.
The strong growth of Portfolio Investment was mainly due to the increase in Money Market Instruments which recorded a figure of $3.5 billion, accounting for 77.27 percent of total Portfolio Investments in the first quarter.
This sub-category (Money Market Instruments) has grown quite significantly in the past three quarters, recording quarterly growth rates of 603 percent in Q3, 2017, 203 percent in Q4, 2017 and in 62 percent in Q1 2018.
The data showed that Portfolio Investment in the form of Equity and Bonds only recorded $701.61 million and $335.88 million respectively in the quarter under review.
In the report, Business Post gathered that Foreign Direct Investment stood at $246.62 million, falling by 34.83 percent from the figure reported in the previous quarter, and growing by 16.67 percent on a year-on-year basis.
Foreign Direct Investment in Nigeria was still weak when compared to Portfolio Investment and Other Investment, representing only 3.9 percent of total capital imported.
Equity Investment, a sub-category under FDI contributed ($246.61 million) or 99.9 percent of FDI during the quarter, while Other Capital under FDI contributed less than 0.001 percent.
Further check on the data showed that Other Investment recorded $1.49 billion in the first quarter of 2018, declining by 2.29 percent from the previous quarter, however, growing by 289.25 percent compared to the corresponding period of 2017.
This category accounted for 23.67 percent of total Capital Importation in the first quarter of 2018.
As in previous periods, Other Investment was dominated by Loans ($1.27 billion), which accounted for 85.02 percent of Other Investments.
This was followed by Other Claims ($223.49 million), which accounted for 14.98 percent of the category of Capital Importation. Trade Credits and Currency Deposits posted no inflow in the quarter.
The United Kingdom kept its leading role in capital investment in Nigeria in the first quarter of 2018, with $2.25 billion capital invested in Nigeria. This inflow accounted for 35.73 percent of the total of capital inflow in Q1,2018, it was also a 39.89 percent increase from the previous quarter and a growth of 644.55 percent over the corresponding period of last year.
As well as the existence of a historical relationship between the UK and Nigeria, London (the capital of the UK) is also a principal financial center, which explains the high value of foreign capital from the UK.
Since 2010, the UK has accounted for the highest value of capital importation in all but two quarters (both in the second half of 2015).
The country to account for the second most significant value of capital importation was the United States. The US accounted for $1.26 billion in the first quarter of 2018 or 19.99 percent of the total quarterly capital importation.
The US has also been one of the most important investors in Nigeria, usually either the largest or second largest investor country.
The next two largest investors in the first quarter of 2018 were South Africa and Ghana, which recorded $493.22 million and $380.14 million capital inflow into Nigeria in the first quarter respectively.
These two country’s capital investment accounted for 7.82 percent and 6.03 percent of the total quarterly capital importation in Q1 2018.
Capital Importation from South Africa increased by 79.29 percent from the previous quarter and by 673.19 percent relative to the first quarter in 2017.
The first quarter in 2018 was the first time since 2013 that Ghana made a significant capital investment in Nigeria, which made Ghana the fourth largest Capital Importation source country for Nigeria in this quarter.
Economy
Customs Street Chalks up 1.08% on Renewed Buying Pressure
By Dipo Olowookere
A 1.08 per cent growth was further printed by the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Friday on improved appetite for Nigerian stocks.
Data showed that the insurance sector lost 0.61 per cent yesterday due to profit-taking as the energy space gave up 0.08 per cent, while the commodity counter closed flat.
However, the industrial goods landscape appreciated by 2.06 per cent, the banking index improved by 1.31 per cent, and the consumer goods sector expanded by 0.83 per cent.
At the close of business on Customs Street, the All-Share Index (ASI) increased by 1,563.92 points to 147,040.07 points from 145,476.15 points and the market capitalisation went up by N996 billion to N93.722 trillion from N92.726 trillion.
UAC Nigeria led the advancers’ log yesterday after it grew by 10.00 per cent to N96.80, Transcorp Hotels jumped by 9.71 per cent to N172.80, Royal Exchange appreciated by 8.89 per cent to N1.96, Ikeja Hotel soared by 8.74 per cent to N31.10, and Veritas Kapital leapt by 8.07 per cent to N1.74.
On the flip side, Union Dicon declined by 10.00 per cent to N6.30, ABC Transport slipped by 9.88 per cent to N3.10, AXA Mansard depreciated by 7.19 per cent to N12.90, FTN Cocoa lost 4.62 per cent to trade at N4.75, and Guinea Insurance dropped 3.36 per cent to finish at N1.15.
A total of 38 stocks ended on the gainers’ table and 17 stocks finished on the losers’ table, representing a positive market breadth index and strong investor sentiment.
Traders transacted 361.6 million equities for N14.8 billion in 21,051 deals yesterday versus the 1.9 billion equities worth N19.2 billion traded in 23,369 deals a day earlier, showing a decline in the trading volume, value, and number of deals by 80.97 per cent, 22.92 per cent, and 14.20 per cent, respectively.
The busiest stock for the session was Zenith Bank with 59.5 million units worth N3.6 billion, Access Holdings traded 46.1 million units valued at N973.0 million, Fidelity Bank exchanged 29.4 million units for N560.4 million, FCMB transacted 27.9 million units worth N293.9 million, and Tantalizers sold 13.0 million units valued at N29.8 million.
Economy
Nipco, 11 Plc Crash OTC Securities Exchange by 4.76%
By Adedapo Adesanya
Energy stocks influenced the 4.76 per cent loss recorded by the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange on Friday, December 5.
The culprits were the duo of 11 Plc and Nipco Plc,with the former shedding N32.17 to end at N291.83 per share compared with the previous day’s N324.00 per share, and the latter down by N21.00 to sell at N195.00 per unit versus the previous session’s N216.00 per unit.
Consequently, the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) slumped by 170.16 points to 3,401.37 points from 3,571.53 points and the market capitalisation lost N101.81 billion to close at N2.035 billion from the N2.136 trillion quoted in the preceding session.
The OTC securities exchange suffered the decline yesterday despite the share prices of three companies closing green.
Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc was up by N1.80 to close at N39.80 per share compared with Thursday’s price of N38.00 per share, Air Liquide Plc appreciated by N1.09 to N11.99 per unit from N10.90 per unit, and FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc grew by 78 Kobo to N56.57 per share from N55.79 per share.
During the session, the volume of transactions rose by 6,885.3 per cent to 18.2 million units from 4.3 million units, the value of transactions ballooned by 10,301.7 per cent to N389.7 million from N347.2 million, but the number of deals declined by 29.7 per cent to 26 deals from 37 deals.
Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company (InfraCredit) Plc ended the day as the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units worth N16.4 billion, followed by Okitipupa Plc with 170.4 million units valued at N8.0 billion, and Air Liquide Plc with 507.5 million units worth N4.2 billion.
InfraCredit Plc also finished the day as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units transacted for N16.4 billion, followed by Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc with 1.2 billion units sold for N420.2 million, and Impresit Bakolori Plc with 536.9 million units worth N524.9 million.
Economy
Naira Depreciates to N1,450/$1 at Official Forex Market
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira depreciated further against the US Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Friday, December 5, as FX demand pressure mounts.
The Nigerian currency lost N2.60 or 0.18 per cent against the greenback to close at N1,450.43/$1 compared with the previous day’s N1,447.83/$1.
Equally, the domestic currency declined against the Pound Sterling in the official forex market during the session by N4.48 to trade at N1,935.45/£1, in contrast to Thursday’s closing price of N1,930.97/£1 and shrank against the Euro by 43 Kobo to end at N1,689.17/€1 versus the preceding session’s rate of N1,688.74/€1.
Similarly, the local currency performed badly against the US Dollar at the GTBank FX counter by N2 to close at N1,455/$1 versus Thursday’s N1,453/$1 but traded flat at the parallel market at N14.65/$1.
As the country gets into the festive period, pressure mounted on the local currency reflecting higher foreign payments and lower FX inflows.
However, there are expectations that the Nigerian currency will be stable, supported by interventions by to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the face of steady dollar Demand and inflows from Detty December festivities that will give the Naira a boost after it depreciated mildly last month.
Traders cited by Reuters expect that the Naira will trade within a band of N1,443-N1,450/$1 next week, buoyed by improved FX interventions by the apex bank.
As for the crypto market, it was down yesterday due to profit-taking associated with year-end trading. However, the December 1-Year Consumer Inflation Expectation by the University of Michigan fell to 4.1 per cent from 4.5 per cent previously and 4.5 per cent expected. The 5-Year Consumer Inflation Expectation fell to 3.2 per cent from 3.4 per cent previously and 3.4 per cent expected.
With the dearth of official economic data of late, these private surveys have taken on a new level of significance and the market banks of them to make decisions.
Cardano (ADA) depreciated by 5.7 per cent to $0.4142, Dogecoin (DOGE) slid by 5.1 per cent to $0.1394, Ethereum (ETH) dropped by 3.9 per cent to $3,039.75, Solana (SOL) declined by 3.8 per cent to $133.24, and Litecoin (LTC) fell by 3.7 per cent to $80.59.
Further, Bitcoin (BTC) went down by 2.6 per cent to sell at $89,683.72, Binance Coin (BNB) slumped by 2.2 per cent to $883.59, and Ripple (XRP) shrank by 2.1 per cent to $2.04, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $1.00 each.
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