Economy
Asian Equities Give Up Early Gains to Close Lower
By Investors Hub
Asian stocks gave up early gains to end mostly lower on Thursday as investors awaited the announcement of the next Fed chief as well as Friday’s U.S. jobs report.
The dollar pulled back in Asian trading as lingering uncertainty about the U.S. tax bill overshadowed a mildly hawkish Fed statement.
Chinese stocks fell slightly on concerns over slowing growth and tighter liquidity before year-end. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index eased 12.77 points or 0.4 percent to finish at 3,383.14, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 75.42 points or 0.3 percent to 28,518.64.
Australian shares finished marginally lower, dragged down by financials after National Australia Bank said it expects to take a restructuring charge of A$500 to A$800 million in the first half of 2018. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index dipped 6.10 points or 0.1 percent to 5,931.70, while the broader All Ordinaries Index closed little changed at 6,002.20.
NAB fell 2.8 percent after forecasting a rise in costs, and the other three banks ended down between 0.3 percent and 0.8 percent. Higher metal prices helped lift miners, with BHP Billiton, Fortescue Metals Group, Rio Tinto and South32 climbing 2-4 percent.
Energy stocks Woodside Petroleum and Oil Search rose more than 1 percent each. Building materials supplier Boral rallied 3.8 percent after lifting the outlook for its Australian business.
On the economic front, Australia’s foreign trade surplus increased more than expected in September, while the total number of building approvals increased for the second straight month, separate reports showed.
Seoul stocks closed lower on profit taking after four days of gains. The benchmark Kospi dropped 10.11 points or 0.4 percent to 2,546.36, dragged down by technology and insurance stocks. SK Hynix and Samsung Life Insurance both ended down over 2 percent.
Meanwhile, Japanese shares hit a new 21-year high even as overall gains remained modest ahead of a long holiday weekend. The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 119.04 points or 0.5 percent to 22,539.12, while the broader Topix Index closed 0.4 percent higher at 1,794.08.
Honda Motor soared 5.2 percent after the automaker raised its full-year operating profit forecast. Sony rallied 2.8 percent to extend Wednesday’s gains after forecasting a record profit. Panasonic lost 3.3 percent on concerns over Tesla’s Model 3 production bottlenecks.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The pre-registration training and examination for capital market operators (CMOs) for the second quarter of 2026 has been postponed.
Business Post gathered that the new date for the exercise is now Monday, June 15, 2026.
This information was disclosed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) through a circular on Monday, June 8, 2026.
The Nigerian capital market regulator stated that this postponement has also resulted in the extension of the deadline for registration to Friday, June 12, 2026.
In the notice today, the SEC expressed its regret for the inconvenience this action may cause operators, who had prepared for the initial date of the training and examination.
“Further to the recent circular on Q2 2026 Pre-registration Training and Examination, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hereby informs all eligible applicants for the Q2 2026 Pre-registration Training and Examination that the commencement date has been postponed to Monday, June 15, 2026.
“Registration on the designated portal has also been extended to Friday, June 12, 2026. All other conditions contained in the circular remain unchanged.
“The commission regrets any inconvenience this postponement may cause and appreciates the understanding of all applicants,” the disclosure noted.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the leading healthcare firms in Nigeria, Fidson Healthcare Plc, has listed additional shares on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The new stocks absorbed into the stock market were 600 million units, raising the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Fidson to 3,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 2,400,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
The fresh equities came from the company’s rights issue of 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N35.00 per share.
They were issued to existing investors on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing four ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Confirming the development, the regulator in a notice said, “Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of Fidson Healthcare Plc were on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
“The additional shares arose from the company’s rights issue of 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N35.00 per share on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing four ordinary shares held as at the close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
“With the listing of the additional 600,000,000 ordinary shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Fidson Healthcare Plc have now increased from 2,400,000,000 to 3,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
This news will surely excite local contractors with verified claims of N100 million or less, as the federal government has approved their payments.
This approval for the disbursement was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele.
This followed a verification and reconciliation exercise designed to ensure only validated claims qualify for payment.
The beneficiaries cover contractors across multiple ministries, departments and agencies. The release of the funds is expected to enable contractors to return to project sites, pay workers, settle suppliers and meet outstanding financial commitments.
In an announcement on Monday, the Federal Ministry of Finance also said this latest batch of payments would ease liquidity pressure on small businesses and accelerate economic activity nationwide.
It was noted that the payments for verified claims of N100 million below were strategically done to spread economic impact broadly rather than concentrate disbursements among a handful of large firms.
The payments form part of a broader push to clear inherited contractor obligations, with over N700 billion verified in recent months.
“For many beneficiaries, the release of funds represents more than a financial transaction. It provides the certainty needed to sustain operations, preserve jobs, complete ongoing projects, and contribute to economic recovery and growth,” the ministry said in a statement.
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