Economy
Asian Equities Depreciate as Trade Tensions Worry Investors
By Investors Hub
Asian stocks fell on Wednesday to extend recent losses as investors continued to fret about trade tensions and the turbulence in emerging markets, with South Africa slipping into a recession for the first time since 2009.
A cautious undertone prevailed after a threat by the United States to impose tariffs on another $200 billion worth of Chinese imports as soon as a public-comment period ends on Thursday.
China?s Shanghai Composite Index tumbled 46.24 points or 1.7 percent to 2,704.34, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index plunged 729.49 points or 2.6 percent to 27,243.85.
Activity in China?s service sector continued to expand in August, albeit at a slower rate, the latest survey from Caixin revealed with a 10-month low PMI score of 51.5.That missed expectations for 52.6 and was down sharply from 52.8 in July.
The business sector in Hong Kong continued to contract in August, the latest survey from Nikkei revealed with a PMI score of 48.5. That?s up from 48.2 in July.
Japanese shares fell as trade worries persisted and tourism-linked shares succumbed to selling pressure after a powerful typhoon slammed into western Japan, cutting power, overturning cars and killing at least eight people.
The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 116.07 points or 0.5 percent to 22,580.83, extending losses for a fourth straight session. The broader Topix Index closed 0.8 percent lower at 1,704.96.
Airline ANA Holdings dropped 1.8 percent, cosmetic maker Shiseido lost 4.2 percent and Fancl Corp plunged 9.7 percent. Line Corp, a subsidiary of the South Korean internet search giant Naver Corporation, plummeted 5 percent on fund raising reports.
Meanwhile, market heavyweight Fast Retailing climbed 3.2 percent after unveiling strong monthly sales figures.
On the economic front, the service sector in Japan expanded at a faster in August, the latest survey from Nikkei revealed with a PMI score of 51.5, up from 51.3 in July.
Australian stocks tumbled despite second quarter GDP data coming in above expectations. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index slumped 62.70 points or 1 percent to 6,230.40, while the broader All Ordinaries Index ended down 59.70 points or 0.9 percent at 6,339.20.
Australia’s GDP grew a seasonally adjusted 0.9 percent in the second quarter, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said. That beat forecasts for a gain of 0.7 percent following the 1.0 percent increase in the three months prior. On a yearly basis, GDP was up 3.4 percent, the fastest pace in six years.
Separately, another survey showed that the service sector in Australia continued to expand in August, albeit at a slower pace. The corresponding index stood at 52.2 in the month, down from 53.6 in July.
Miners BHP Billiton, Fortescue Metals Group, Rio Tinto and South32 slumped 2-3 percent after commodity prices fell sharply overnight on concerns that renewed trade tensions between the U.S. and its partners may hamper global economic growth.
Lender Westpac Banking Corp dropped 1.3 percent after settling a record A$35 million ($25 million) fine for wrongly approving thousands of mortgages. The other three banks ended down between 0.7 percent and 0.9 percent.
Energy stocks also closed broadly lower, with Origin Energy and Oil Search losing 1.2 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Oil prices settled about 1 per cent lower on Thursday even as the Iran war escalated, with the Middle East oil producer asking Yemen’s Houthi movement to be prepared to close the Red Sea oil export route.
Brent crude futures fell by 72 cents or about 0.9 per cent to trade at $84.23 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures depreciated by 65 cents or 0.8 per cent to close at $78.95 a barrel.
Iran has instructed Yemen’s Houthi movement to stand ready to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the vital gateway to the Red Sea, if the US follows through on threats to strike Iranian power infrastructure.
Market analysts warned that with the Strait of Hormuz already closed, the latest threat raises the serious risk of both of the Middle East’s primary oil export routes being disrupted at the same time.
About 7.4 million barrels of petroleum transited Bab el-Mandeb per day in June, about 7 per cent of global oil output, according to Kpler data, up from 4.2 million barrels per day last year.
This week, US President Donald Trump repeated oft-stated threats to strike Iranian power plants and bridges.
According to senior Iranian sources, the Islamic Republic’s leadership has discussed the idea with Iran’s Houthi allies, with the rebel forces now awaiting definitive orders to begin targeting maritime traffic.
In a sign of escalating tensions in the region, the Houthis fired missiles at Saudi Arabia after accusing the kingdom of bombing an airport under their control on Monday, breaking a four-year truce in the conflict between the kingdom and the group.
This comes as Saudi Arabia is currently evaluating a massive infrastructure expansion to permanently upgrade the capacity of its western pipeline and terminal networks.
Any additional disruptions could force international shipping firms to redirect vessels around Africa, inflating transit costs and worsening the global energy crisis.
On Wednesday, the US struck Iran’s coastal defences and missile sites after reimposing a naval blockade of its ports, while the two countries exchanged intensified fire on Thursday, which kept pressure on prices upward.
However, weighing on prices was Iran’s release of a US citizen, which could point toward a path to avert the resumption of all-out war.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has launched a new digital platform to track every foreign exchange transaction involving Bureaux De Change (BDC) operators, marking a major step in its efforts to improve transparency and strengthen oversight of the country’s retail forex market.
In an operational guidance issued on July 15 to authorised dealer banks and licensed BDCs, the apex bank introduced the FX BDC Purchase Tracker (FXBT), a centralised electronic portal designed to monitor foreign exchange purchases by BDCs from the point of request through approval, settlement and eventual sale.
The CBN said the portal will require BDCs to upload real-time or same-day data on all FX purchases made through the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM), giving the regulator transaction-level visibility across the retail FX market.
According to the bank, the platform is designed to prevent abuse by making it easier to detect operators attempting to exceed the weekly purchase limit of $150,000, obtain allocations from multiple banks or divert foreign exchange outside approved channels.
The launch of the tracker builds on the CBN’s February policy that restored direct access for licensed BDCs to purchase foreign exchange from authorised dealer banks through the NFEM. While that policy improved access to official FX, the new platform provides the digital infrastructure to monitor how the funds are used.
Under the new framework, authorised dealer banks must conduct comprehensive Know-Your-Customer (KYC) and customer due diligence checks before selling foreign exchange to any BDC.
The new guideline also says banks must verify beneficial ownership information, retain incorporation documents and carry out enhanced due diligence for higher-risk operators. Any BDC that fails these checks will not be allowed to access official foreign exchange.
The guidance also requires banks to acknowledge BDC purchase requests submitted through the FXBT portal within two business hours and immediately notify operators whether their requests have been approved or rejected.
To discourage speculation, the CBN directed that any forex purchased through the NFEM but left unused must be sold back into the market within 24 hours after the expiration of the utilisation period. BDCs are also required to disclose any previously unused balances when submitting fresh requests.
In addition, all foreign exchange transactions between banks, BDCs and customers must be settled through registered accounts with licensed financial institutions. Third-party transactions are prohibited, and any transfer outside a BDC’s registered settlement account will be treated as a regulatory violation.
The apex bank also said all authorised dealer banks and licensed BDCs are expected to comply with the new regulatory guidance and operational procedures with immediate effect.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The chief executive of HBM Nigeria Plc (formerly Lafarge Africa), Mr Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, said the cement producer is expected to add 4.5 million tonnes to its production capacity by January 2027.
HBM Nigeria Plc is positioning itself for stronger long-term competitiveness, market leadership and job creation as it accelerates expansion projects.
The transition to HBM Nigeria marks a new phase of growth, driven by operational excellence, sustainability, innovation, and infrastructure development, while maintaining its long-standing commitment to Nigeria’s construction sector.
Mr Alade-Akinyemi, speaking recently in Lagos, said the ongoing expansion of the company’s Ashaka and Sagamu plants would significantly boost local production, create employment opportunities, and support businesses across its value chain.
“We recently announced the expansion of the Sagamu plant in Ogun State and the Ashaka plant in Gombe State. Hopefully, in January 2027, we will commission both plants, adding 4.5 million tonnes to our capacity. Traditionally, building a new plant takes about three years, but this is one of the benefits of belonging to the Huaxin Group,” he said.
According to him, the projects will generate employment, create opportunities for young people and women, strengthen local suppliers and contractors, and contribute further to Nigeria’s economic growth.
“There are many vacancies we are trying to fill in Sagamu and Ashaka. Beyond direct employment, we are creating opportunities for small businesses, developing suppliers and supporting local contractors. This is an exciting period because it will deliver significant benefits to Nigeria,” he said.
Mr Alade-Akinyemi noted that while the company’s corporate identity had changed following its acquisition by Huaxin Building Materials Group, its core values and commitment to customers, host communities, employees and shareholders remain unchanged.
He said HBM Nigeria traces its roots to 1959 as West African Portland Cement Company (WAPCO), with its first cement plant commencing operations in Ewekoro, Ogun State, in 1961.
Since then, he said, the company has grown into one of Nigeria’s leading building solutions providers with integrated plants in Ewekoro, Sagamu, Ashaka and Mfamosing.
He added that the company, which became publicly listed in 1979, has continued to expand through acquisitions and transformation while maintaining high product quality, innovation and responsible operations.
Highlighting the strengths of its parent company, Alade-Akinyemi described Huaxin Building Materials as a globally recognised building materials manufacturer founded in 1907 and headquartered in Wuhan, China, with operations across 16 regions in China and 14 countries worldwide.
He said Huaxin’s engineering expertise and focus on research and development would strengthen HBM Nigeria’s operations and help close engineering skills gaps in the country.
“As HBM Nigeria, we are strategically positioned for long-term competitiveness and stronger market leadership while reinforcing our commitment to supporting Nigeria’s infrastructure development and economic progress after more than six decades of industry leadership,” he said.
He also said sustainability would remain central to the company’s operations, noting that it had introduced lower-carbon products and continued to invest in environmentally friendly production processes.
