Economy
Access Bank to Pay HY Dividend as Earnings Hit N450.6bn
By Dipo Olowookere
Access Bank Plc is paying its shareholders an interim dividend of 30 kobo for the first half of 2021 ended June 30, a notice from the lender has confirmed.
However, the HY dividend is subject to appropriate withholding tax and would be paid on Wednesday, September 29 to shareholders whose names appear on the register of members as at the close of business on Thursday, September 16 and to those who have completed their e-dividend registration and mandated the registrar to pay their dividends directly into their bank accounts.
A look into the performance of the banking institution in HY 2021 showed that its gross earnings expanded to N450.6 billion from N396.8 billion in the same period of 2020.
Business Post observed that the corporate and investment banking arm of the business raked N167.9 billion versus N152.0 billion a year ago, the commercial banking earned N139.4 billion compared with N112.1 billion, the business banking generated N24.8 billion in contrast to N36.9 billion, while the retail segment added N118.6 billion versus N95.8 billion to the total revenue.
In terms of the geographical segments, the largest chunk of the earnings came from its Nigerian operations, raking N353.8 billion, higher than N338.6 billion in the same period of last year.
The lender said in the first six months of this year, its net interest income grew to N200.1 billion from N126.2 billion, while its net interest income after impairment charges rose to N171.4 billion from N109.7 billion.
In the period under consideration, Access Bank said it improved its fee and commission income to N73.7 billion from N51.8 billion as a result of a rise in channels and other e-business income, commission on other financial services, commission on bills and letters of credit, account maintenance charge and handling commission as well as credit-related fees and commissions.
However, its fee and commission expense rose in the same period to N15.0 billion from N11.2 billion, while the net fee and commission income closed at N58.7 billion, higher than N40.6 billion in HY 2020.
In the first half of the year, Access Bank said personnel costs swallowed N43.6 billion compared with N36.3 billion in the same period of 2020 mainly as a result of an increase in wages and salaries to N41.3 billion from N34.1 billion, while other operating expenses jumped to N126.1 billion from N120.7 billion despite a decline in bank charges, administrative expenses, communication expenses, outsourcing costs, advertisements and marketing expenses, recruitment and training, events, charities and sponsorship, security expenses, cash processing and management cost, and office provisions and entertainment costs.
When these costs and others were taken from the earnings, the bank was left with a profit before tax of N97.5 billion, higher than N74.3 billion as at June 30, 2020, while the profit after tax stood at N86.9 billion compared with N61.0 billion, signifying a 42.5 per cent improvement.
In the period, the earnings per share (EPS) grew to N2.48 from N1.73, while the total assets increased year-to-date to N10.1 trillion from N8.7 trillion in FY 2020, with the total liabilities rising year-to-date to N9.3 trillion from N7.9 trillion.
It was observed that deposits from customers in the first months of this year went up to N6.0 trillion from N5.6 trillion as at December 31, 2020, while loans to customers increased to N3.6 trillion from N3.2 trillion.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The federal government has been asked by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to suspend the implementation of the controversial tax laws.
In a reaction to the tax reform acts, the president of the group, Mr Afam Osigwe (SAN), the suspension of the laws would allow for a proper investigation into allegations of alterations in the gazetted and harmonised copies.
A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Abdussamad Dasuki, alleged that some parts of the laws passed by the parliament were different from the gazetted copy.
To address the issues raised, the NBA said it is “imperative that a comprehensive, open, and transparent investigation be conducted to clarify the circumstances surrounding the enactment of the laws and to restore public confidence in the legislative process.”
“Until these issues are fully examined and resolved, all plans for the implementation of the Tax Reform Acts should be immediately suspended,” the association declared.
It noted that the controversies “raise grave concerns about the integrity, transparency, and credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process.”
“These developments strike at the very heart of constitutional governance and call into question the procedural sanctity that must attend lawmaking in a democratic society,” it noted.
“Legal and policy uncertainty of this magnitude has far-reaching consequences. It unsettles the business environment, erodes investor confidence, and creates unpredictability for individuals, businesses, and institutions required to comply with the law. Such uncertainty is inimical to economic stability and should have no place in a system governed by the rule of law.
“Nigeria’s constitutional democracy demands that laws, especially those with profound economic and social implications, emerge from processes that are transparent, accountable, and beyond reproach. Anything short of this undermines public trust and weakens the foundation upon which lawful governance rests.
“We therefore call on all relevant authorities to act swiftly and responsibly in addressing this controversy, in the overriding interest of constitutional order, economic stability, and the preservation of the rule of law,” the organisation stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Demand for hot stocks, including MRS Oil Plc, buoyed the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 0.52 per cent on Tuesday, December 23.
The energy company was one of the three price gainers for the session as it chalked up N19.69 to sell at N216.59 per share versus the previous day’s value of N196.90 per share.
Further, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc gained N2.95 to close at N56.75 per unit versus N53.80 per unit and Golden Capital Plc appreciated by 84 Kobo to N9.29 per share from Monday’s N8.45 per share.
Consequently, the market capitalisation went up by N10.95 billion to N2.125 trillion from N2.125 trillion and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) rose by 18.31 points to 3,570.37 points from 3,552.06 points.
Yesterday, the NASD bourse recorded a price loser, the Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), which gave up 17 Kobo to close at N33.70 per unit against the previous trading value of N33.87 per unit.
The volume of securities traded at the session went down by 97.6 per cent to 297,902 units from the previous day’s 12.6 million units, the value of securities decreased by 98.5 per cent to N10.5 million from N713.6 million, and the number of deals remained flat at 32 deals.
By value, Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company (InfraCredit) Plc ended as the most actively traded stock on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units exchanged for N16.4 billion. This was followed by Okitipupa Plc, which traded 178.9 million units valued at N9.5 billion, and MRS Oil Plc with 36.1 million units worth N4.9 billion.
In terms of volume, also on a year-to-date basis, InfraCredit Plc led the chart with a turnover of 5.8 billion units traded for N16.4 billion. Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc ranked second with 1.2 billion units sold for N420.7 million, while Impresit Bakolori Plc followed with the sale of 536.9 million units valued at N524.9 million.
By Dipo Olowookere
It was another bullish trading session for the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited as it closed higher by 0.59 per cent on Tuesday.
The market further rallied due to continued interest in large and mid-cap stocks on the exchange by investors rebalancing their portfolios for the year-end.
Yesterday, Aluminium Extrusion sustained its upward trajectory after it further appreciated by 9.96 per cent to N14.90, as Austin Laz gained 9.81 per cent to close at N2.91, Custodian Investment improved by 9.69 per cent to N38.50, and First Holdco soared by 9.35 per cent to N50.30.
Conversely, Royal Exchange declined by 7.22 per cent to N1.80, Champion Breweries shrank by 6.57 per cent to N15.65, NASCON lost 5.36 per cent to trade at N105.05, Sovereign Trust Insurance depreciated by 5.28 per cent to N3.77, and Japaul went down by 4.51 per cent to N2.33.
At the close of business, 29 shares ended on the gainers’ table and 27 shares finished on the losers’ log, representing a positive market breadth index and bullish investor sentiment.
This raised the All-Share Index (ASI) by 895.06 points to 153,354.13 points from 152,459.07 points and lifted the market capitalisation by N579 billion to N97.772 trillion from the previous day’s N97.193 trillion.
VFD Group finished the day as the busiest stock after it recorded a turnover of 192.0 million units worth N2.1 billion, GTCO exchanged 63.5 million units valued at N5.6 billion, Access Holdings traded 49.8 million units for N1.0 billion, First Holdco sold 45.8 million units valued at N2.3 billion, and Secure Electronic Technology transacted 38.3 million units worth N28.4 million.
In all, market participants bought and sold 677.4 million units valued at N20.8 billion in 27,589 deals compared with the 451.5 million units worth N13.0 billion traded in 33,327 deals on Monday, showing an improvement in the trading volume and value by 50.03 per cent and 60.00 per cent apiece, and a shortfall in the number of deals by 17.22 per cent.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn