Economy
Chinese, Japanese Shares Fall as Hong Kong Market Gains 0.1%
By Investors Hub
Asian stocks closed on a muted note Friday as trade war concerns resurfaced and investors looked ahead to the release of U.S. jobs data for May.
China’s Shanghai Composite Index fell 20.01 points or 0.7 percent to 3,075.46 even as global index provider MSCI Inc. added around 230 mainland-listed Chinese stocks to its flagship Emerging Markets Index and other indexes. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index inched up 24.35 points or 0.1 percent to 30,492.91.
On the data front, Chinese manufacturing activity expanded at a steady pace in May, survey data from IHS Markit showed. The Caixin Purchasing Managers’ index remained unchanged at 51.1, while analysts expected the index to rise to 51.2.
Japanese shares ended a choppy session slightly lower as fears of a global trade war resurfaced and U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed the chances of reaching a quick resolution with North Korea.
The Nikkei 225 Index swung between gains and losses before ending down 30.47 points or 0.1 percent at 22,171.35. The broader Topix Index finished marginally higher at 1,749.17.
While market heavyweight Fast Retailing dropped 1.7 percent, automaker Mazda Motor rose 1.2 percent and Toyota Motor climbed 2.9 percent on a weaker yen.
Olympus Corp soared 4.0 percent after activist investor ValueAct Capital became a major shareholder in the medical equipment and camera maker.
Earlier in the day, upon arrival for a meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Seven advanced economies, Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda called for “rational” debate to prevent protectionist trade measures from disrupting the global economy.
On the data front, the latest survey from Nikkei revealed that the manufacturing sector in Japan continued to expand in May, albeit at a slower rate, with a manufacturing PMI score of 52.8.
Separately, a government report showed that capital spending in Japan grew 3.4 percent in the first quarter of 2018, exceeding expectations for 3.1 percent but slowing from 4.3 percent in the previous three months.
Australian shares fell modestly, with banks falling heavily as ANZ faced criminal cartel charges relating to 2015 equity placement.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index dropped 21.50 points or 0.4 percent to 5,990.40, while the broader All Ordinaries Index ended down 19.50 points or 0.3 percent at 6,104.
ANZ shares fell 1.5 percent, while the other three major banks ended down between 0.4 percent and 0.9 percent. Mining heavyweight Rio Tinto, which has aluminum smelters in Canada, shed 0.6 percent.
Woodside Petroleum, Santos, Oil Search and Beach Energy all fell around 1 percent after crude oil prices declined almost 2 percent overnight.
Meanwhile, healthcare stocks bucked the weak trend, with Cochlear climbing 3.7 percent and Sonic Healthcare closing up 1 percent.
Australian manufacturing activity maintained strong growth momentum in May despite easing from April, survey data published by the Australian Industry Group showed. The corresponding index dropped to 57.5 from 58.3 in the previous month.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Market bellwethers, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc and FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc, lifted the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 2.08 per cent on Monday, August 3.
CSCS Plc, the Nigerian securities depository company, gained N10.00 to close at N112.00 per share compared with the previous session’s N102.00 per share, and FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc advanced by N4.71 to quote at N152.64 per unit versus last Friday’s N147.93 per unit.
As a result, the NASD Security Index (NSI) added 92.14 points to finish at 4,523.85 points compared with the preceding session’s 4,431.71 points, and the market capitalisation appreciated by N55.31 billion to N2.715 trillion from N2.659 trillion.
Business Post reports that the price of MRS Oil Plc crashed during the trading day by N12.00 to N120.00 per share from N132.00 per share, and UBN Property Plc dipped by 3 Kobo to N1.90 per unit from N1.93 per unit.
Trading data showed that the volume of securities exchanged rose by 113.1 per cent to 1.5 million units from 690,990 units, and the number of deals climbed by 19.2 per cent to 31 deals from 26 deals, while the value of securities slid by 13.1 per cent to N65.2 million from N75.0 million.
Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units sold for N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 76.8 million units traded for N5.5 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the session as the most traded stock 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 exchanged for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has introduced a 1.5 per cent stamp duty on eligible virtual asset transactions, with the tax deducted directly from the cryptocurrency purchased before it is credited to the buyer’s wallet.
According to the new guidelines issued on Monday, anyone buying Bitcoin (BTC), USDT or other cryptocurrencies in Nigeria will receive fewer digital assets due to the deduction.
This requires registered crypto exchanges and other Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) to withhold the levy in the digital asset being traded and remit it to the government, marking Nigeria’s most comprehensive move yet to bring cryptocurrency transactions into the country’s tax net.
Unlike traditional taxes deducted from a customer’s bank account, the 1.5 per cent charge will be taken from the cryptocurrency itself, meaning buyers will receive less Bitcoin, USDT or other tokens than they paid for.
The tax body stated that “income tax deducted at source and stamp duty shall be remitted to the service in the originating token of the transaction.”
Besides the new stamp duty, the guidelines also clarify how income tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) and other tax obligations will apply to virtual asset activities such as trading, staking, mining and other crypto-related transactions.
To illustrate the new rule, the tax authority said a buyer who pays N1 million for one Bitcoin will receive only 0.985 BTC after 0.015 BTC is deducted as stamp duty and remitted to the government. When that Bitcoin is later sold, the next buyer will also have 1.5 per cent deducted from the cryptocurrency credited to their wallet.
The NRS said the guidelines are intended to provide clarity for taxpayers, crypto exchanges, peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace operators, financial institutions, tax consultants and all participants in Nigeria’s virtual asset ecosystem.
According to the guidelines, the 1.5 per cent duty applies to eligible virtual asset transactions facilitated through registered exchanges and other recognised intermediaries. Where a cryptocurrency is used to complete a transaction that already attracts stamp duty under the law, the applicable duty on the underlying instrument will also be payable.
For crypto users, the implication is higher transaction costs, as eligible purchases will attract the 1.5 per cent stamp duty, while VAT on exchange service fees and income tax on taxable gains may also apply, depending on the nature of the transaction.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira opened the week on a positive note, as it appreciated against the US Dollar by N3.39 or 0.25 per cent in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Monday, August 3, to N1,364.83/$1 from N1,368.22/$1 last Friday.
However, it suffered a marginal decline against the Pound Sterling in the official market during the session by 10 Kobo to close at N1,837.89/£1 compared with the preceding session’s N1,837.79/£1, and lost 6 Kobo on the Euro to sell at N1,573.93/€1, in contrast to the previous trading day’s N1,573.87/€1.
At the black market segment, the Nigerian currency traded flat against the Dollar yesterday at N1,405/$1, and at the GTBank forex counter, it was unchanged at N1,374/$1.
Interbank FX transactions increased sharply as market makers’ activities raised total Dollar volume exchanged to $137.048 million, more than 132 per cent above $58.990 million in turnover at the previous close. The surge in turnover was driven by increased deals at the NFEM window. The central bank reported that deal count at the interbank FX window rose to 138 from 67 on Friday.
As for the cryptocurrency market, major tokens advanced despite ongoing uncertainty around unresolved Coldcard wallet sweeps that have drained hundreds of Bitcoin (BTC), while traders are watching whether bitcoin can hold above $63,000 through the US session. BTC rose by 1.70 per cent to $63,765.88.
Bitcoin treasury firm Strategy disclosed Monday it sold 1,638 bitcoin for about $105 million between July 27 and Aug. 2, its third sale of 2026, per an SEC filing.
Also, an attacker has moved about 1,816 bitcoins, or roughly $114 million, from more than 5,200 addresses since July 30 in a fourth wave of sweeps targeting BTC in Coldcard-generated addresses.
Cardano (ADA) appreciated by 6.7 per cent to $0.1959, Binance Coin (BNB) gained 1.5 per cent to sell for $590.82, Solana (SOL) jumped by 1.3 per cent to $73.72, TRON (TRX) soared by 0.9 per cent to $0.3286, Dogecoin (DOGE) also grew by 0.9 per cent to $0.0703, Ripple (XRP) advanced by 0.5 per cent to $1.07, and Ethereum (ETH) rose by 0.4 per cent to $1,863.33, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) traded flat at $1.00 apiece.
