Economy
Wall Street in Early Pullback on Profit Taking
By Investors Hub
The major U.S. index futures are pointing to a lower opening on Thursday, with stocks likely to give back ground after moving sharply higher over the course of the previous session.
Profit taking may contribute to initial weakness on Wall Street after the strong gains posted in the previous session lifted the Dow and the S&P 500 to their best closing levels in nearly a month.
Traders may also look to move money into safe havens ahead of the Federal Reserve?s monetary policy announcement this afternoon.
The Fed is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged, but the accompanying statement may shed additional light on the anticipated rate hike in December.
CME Group?s FedWatch tool indicates only a 7 percent chance the Fed will raise rates today but a 75 percent chance for a 25 basis point increase in rates next month.
Stocks showed a significant move to the upside during trading on Wednesday, adding to the gains posted in the previous session. With the continued upward move, the Dow and the S&P 500 reached their best closing levels in nearly a month.
The major averages ended the day just off their highs of the session. The Dow surged up 545.29 points or 2.1 percent to 26,180.30, the Nasdaq soared 194.79 points or 2.6 percent to 7,570.75 and the S&P 500 spiked 58.44 points or 2.1 percent to 2,813.89.
The rally on Wall Street came as the results of the highly anticipated midterm elections on Tuesday came largely in line with expectations.
Democrats are projected to retake control of the House for the first time since 2010, as Democratic candidates managed to flip a number of suburban districts across the country.
Control of the House will give Democrats subpoena power, potentially leading to numerous investigations of President Donald Trump’s administration.
House Democrats will also play a much larger role if Trump hopes to achieve any major legislative accomplishments in the next two years.
Meanwhile, Democrats did not fare as well as in the Senate, as Republicans appear poised to expand their majority in the upper chamber.
Republican candidates won Democratic Senate seats in Indiana, Missouri, and North Dakota and are leading in tight races in Florida and Arizona.
The GOP had been seen as likely to maintain control of the Senate due to the tough map faced by Democrats, who were defending 26 of the 35 seats on the ballot.
With Republicans expanding their majority, Trump will likely have an easier time pushing through more controversial judicial nominees.
Despite Republicans losing control of the House, Trump described the night as a “tremendous success” in a post on Twitter.
Software stocks showed a substantial move to the upside on the day, driving the Dow Jones Software Index up by 4 percent. The jump lifted the index to its best closing level in a month.
Considerable strength also emerged among retail stocks, as reflected by the 3.6 percent spike by the Dow Jones Retail Index.
Healthcare stocks also turned in a strong performance, resulting in a 2.9 percent advance by the Dow Jones Health Care Index.
DaVita (DVA) and Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) posted standout gains after California voters rejected a ballot measure that would have capped dialysis payments from insurance companies
Transportation, pharmaceutical, brokerage and chemical stocks also moved notably higher on the day, while gold stocks were among the few groups to buck the uptrend.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Dangote Refinery located in the Lekki area of Lagos State has made its first export of premium motor spirit (PMS) just three months after it commenced the production of petrol.
In September 2024, the refinery produced its first petrol and began loading to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) on September 15.
However, due to some issues, the facility has not been able to flood the local market with its product, forcing it to look elsewhere.
In a landmark move for regional energy integration, Dangote Refinery has partnered with Neptune Oil to take its petrol to neighbouring Cameroon.
Neptune Oil is a leading energy company in Cameroon which provides reliable and sustainable energy solutions.
Dangote Refinery said this development showcases its ability to meet domestic needs and position itself as a key player in the regional energy market, adding that it represents a significant step forward in accessing high-quality and locally sourced petroleum products for Cameroon.
“This first export of PMS to Cameroon is a tangible demonstration of our vision for a united and energy-independent Africa.
“With this development, we are laying the foundation for a future where African resources are refined and exchanged within the continent for the benefit of our people,” the owner of Dangote Refinery, Mr Aliko Dangote, said.
His counterpart at Neptune Oil, Mr Antoine Ndzengue, said, “This partnership with Dangote Refinery marks a turning point for Cameroon.
“By becoming the first importer of petroleum products from this world-class refinery, we are bolstering our country’s energy security and supporting local economic development.
“This initial supply, executed without international intermediaries, reflects our commitment to serving our markets independently and efficiently.”
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited remained in the green territory on Wednesday after it rallied by 0.31 per cent on the back of sustained bargain-hunting activities by investors.
Business Post reports that all the key sectors of the market closed higher at midweek as a result of the renewed interest in local equities.
Data showed that the energy index appreciated by 2.59 per cent, the insurance space grew by 2.34 per cent, the industrial goods sector improved by 0.15 per cent, the banking counter expanded by 0.06 per cent, and the consumer goods industry rose by 0.04 per cent.
At the close of business, the All-Share Index (ASI) gained 302.71 points to settle at 98,509.68 points compared with Tuesday’s closing value of 98,206.97 points and the market capitalisation added N183 billion to close at N59.715 trillion versus the preceding day’s N59.532 trillion.
It was observed that the level of activity yesterday waned as the trading volume, value and number of deals decreased by 65.93 per cent, 49.22 per cent, and 12.70 per cent, respectively.
On Wednesday, a total of 320.1 million stocks valued at N6.5 billion were transacted in 7,943 deals, in contrast to the 939.4 million stocks worth N12.8 billion traded in 9,098 deals.
The busiest equity at midweek was eTranzact, which transacted 70.3 million units for N474.2 million, Universal Insurance traded 23.8 million units worth 8.1 million, Zenith Bank exchanged 21.2 million units valued at N933.5 million, FBN Holdings sold 18.6 million units worth N491.2 million, and UBA traded 14.0 million units valued at N465.8 million.
At the close of transactions, 34 shares ended on the gainers’ log and 17 shares finished on the losers’ chart, representing a positive market breadth index and strong investor sentiment.
Africa Prudential gained 10.00 per cent to quote at N14.30, Conoil also improved by 10.00 per cent to N352.00, and RT Briscoe expanded by 10.00 per cent to N2.42, as Golden Guinea Breweries jumped by 9.95 per cent to N7.18, while NEM Insurance grew by 9.74 per cent to N10.70.
However, Julius Berger lost 10.00 per cent to close at N155.25, Secure Electronic Technology shed 9.52 per cent to trade at 57 Kobo, Multiverse declined by 7.63 per cent to N5.45, Haldane McCall tumbled by 6.07 per cent to N4.95, and Honeywell Flour crashed by 5.62 per cent to N4.70.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Crude oil prices went up on Wednesday after the European Union (EU) agreed to an additional round of sanctions threatening Russian oil flows that could tighten global crude supplies.
During the session, Brent crude futures jumped by $1.33 or 1.84 per cent to $73.52 a barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose by $1.70 or 2.48 per cent to $70.29 per barrel.
EU ambassadors agreed on a 15th package of sanctions on Russia over its war against Ukraine, targeting its shadow tanker fleet and Chinese firms making drones for the country.
The sanctions would target vessels from third countries supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine and add more individuals and entities to the sanctions list. It will not be adopted until after foreign ministers approve the package on Monday.
The shadow fleet has aided Russia in bypassing the $60 per barrel price cap imposed by the G7 on Russian seaborne crude oil in 2022 and has helped keep Russian oil flowing.
Prices were supported by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) which reported an estimated inventory decline of 1.4 million barrels for the week to December 6. In fuels, however, the EIA estimated sizable builds.
The crude oil inventory figure compares with a draw of 5.1 million barrels for the previous week that pushed prices higher for a while but the gains soon got erased by weak global demand growth prospects.
A day before the EIA, the American Petroleum Institute (API) had estimated inventory changes at a positive 499,000 barrels for the week to December 6.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut its 2024 global oil demand growth forecast for a fifth straight month and by the largest amount.
In its December report, the cartel expects 2024 global oil demand to rise by 1.61 million barrels per day, down from 1.82 million barrels per day last month.
OPEC also cut its 2025 growth estimate to 1.45 million barrels per day from 1.54 million barrels per day.
The 210,000 barrels per day cut in the 2024 figure is the largest of the five reductions OPEC has made in its monthly reports since August. In July, OPEC had expected world demand to rise by 2.25 million barrels per day.
Weak demand, particularly in top importer China, and non-OPEC+ supply growth were two factors behind the move.
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