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Economy

Cautious US, Europe Interest Rate Cuts Approach Weakens Crude Oil

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Crude Oil Pipelines

By Adedapo Adesanya

It was a bad day for the crude oil market on Thursday after central banks in the US and Europe signalled caution over further easing of monetary policy amid concerns that weak economic activity could dent oil demand next year.

Brent crude futures fell by 51 cents or 0.7 per cent during the session to $72.88 a barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for January delivery lost 67 cents or 1 per cent to trade at $69.91 per barrel.

The Federal Reserve cut rates by a quarter percentage point to the 4.25 per cent – 4.50 per cent range as expected on Wednesday.

However, the Chairman of the US central bank, Mr Jerome Powell, warned that stubborn inflation would make the bank more cautious about cutting rates next year.

Market analysts warned that the remarks showed that policymakers are starting to align with the prospects for sweeping economic changes under the Trump administration set to commence on January 20.

The US Dollar rose to a two-year high, making oil more expensive for buyers holding other currencies.

The Bank of England policymakers held interest rates steady on Thursday, while officials disagreed over how to respond to the UK’s slowing economy.

Also on Thursday, the Bank of Japan kept ultra-low interest rates as Mr Donald Trump’s vows to impose tariffs cast a shadow over the country’s export-reliant economy.

The oil market is widely expected to be in a surplus next year, with analysts predicting that supply will outpace demand by at least 1 million barrels per day.

Oil supply could tighten next year if Trump, a Republican, delivers on campaign promises of cracking down on Iranian oil exports.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s administration has also ramped up sanctions on Iranian entities, with three vessels involved in trading Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals sanctioned on Thursday.

In China, the world’s top oil importer, there are early signs of further decline in demand with the state-backed energy giant Sinopec saying it expects China’s petroleum consumption to peak in 2027 as fuel demand weakens.

Brent futures prices have shed more than 5 per cent so far this year, setting up a second consecutive annual loss, as a faltering Chinese economy weighed heavily on crude oil demand.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Economy

Seven Equities Boost NASD OTC Securities Exchange by 1.24%

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NASD securities exchange

By Adedapo Adesanya

The third trading week of 2025 ended on a positive note at the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange, with seven equities on the platform inspiring a 1.24 per cent growth.

Consequently, the market capitalisation of the bourse increased by N21.56 billion during the five-day trading week to N1.075 trillion from the N1.053 trillion quoted in the preceding week (Week 2) as the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) expanded by 37.98 points to 3,111.91 points from the 3,073.93 points it ended in the preceding week.

In the period under review, the volume of transactions went down by 42.1 per cent to 9.45 million units from the 16.30 million units in the previous week, as the value of trades declined by 53.1 per cent to N48.4 million from the N104.11 million, with these transactions completed in 122 deals involving 15 different stocks.

Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc gained 50 per cent in the week to close at 36 Kobo per share versus 34 Kobo per share, Mixta Real Estate Plc increased by 20 per cent to end at N2.58 per unit compared with the previous week’s N2.15 per unit, and Okitipupa Plc rose by 10 per cent to N39.59 per share from N35.99 per share.

Further, UBN Property Plc grew by 10 per cent to N2.20 per unit from N2.02 per unit, Newrest Asl Plc jumped by 9.9 per cent to N31.38 per share from N28.53 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Plc surged by 3.7 per cent to N39.65 per unit from N38.22 per unit, and 11 Plc advanced by 0.3 per cent to N256.00 per share from N255.31 per share.

FrieslandCampina Wamco Plc topped the activity chart last week by value with with N0.030 billion, 11 Plc recorded N0.009 billion, Central Security Clearing System (CSCS) Plc raked in N0.004 billion, IGI Plc followed with N0.002 billion, and Geo-Fluids Plc recorded N0.002 billion.

However, IGI Plc was the most traded instrument by volume with 7.5 million units, FrieslandCampina Wamco Plc transacted 0.77 million units, UBN Property Plc recorded 0.38 million, Geo-Fluids Plc traded 0.37 million units, and CSCS Plc posted 0.16 million units.

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Economy

Investors Reduce Exposure to Nigerian Stocks by 52% in One Week

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Nigerian Stocks1

By Dipo Olowookere

To minimise their risks, investors trimmed their exposure to Nigerian stocks by about 52.07 per cent last week, data from Customs Street has revealed.

At the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited in the period under review, the market participants transacted 2.252 billion shares worth N58.831 billion in 63,657 deals compared with the 4.698 billion shares valued at N85.043 billion traded in 72,562 deals a week earlier.

Business Post reports that Universal Insurance, GTCO, and AIICO Insurance dominated the activity chart in the week with 468.315 million equities sold for N9.007 billion in 3,568 deals, contributing 20.79 per cent and 15.31 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively

At the close of business, the financial services sector recorded a turnover of 1.371 billion stocks worth N22.274 billion in 26,114 deals, contributing 60.86 per cent and 37.86 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.

The consumer goods space transacted 253.536 million shares worth N15.244 billion in 8,869 deals, and the services industry exchanged 193.424 million equities valued at N931.795 million in 4,716 deals.

In the five-day trading week, the bourse posted 33 price gainers versus 51 in the previous week, 57 price losers versus 39 a week earlier, and 62 equities remained unchanged, in contrast to 62 recorded in the preceding week.

Neimeth was the biggest price advancer in the period under consideration with a 31.42 per cent appreciation to close at N3.43, SCOA Nigeria expanded by 20.39 per cent to N2.48, Northern Nigeria Flour Mills grew by 19.54 per cent to N54.45, Livestock Feeds soared by 17.62 per cent to N5.94, and Dangote Sugar surged by 16.67 per cent to N38.50.

On the flip side, Universal Insurance slumped by 1923 per cent to 63 Kobo, Royal Exchange declined by 18.35 per cent to 89 Kobo, Regency Assurance shrank by 17.78 per cent to 74 Kobo, Sovereign Trust Insurance lost 16.67 per cent to close at N1.10, and Dangote Cement crumbled by 16.46 per cent to N400.00.

The market came under selling pressure in the week, resulting in the All-Share Index (ASI) and the market capitalisation tumbling by 2.94 per cent and 2.26 per cent each to 102,353.68 points and N62.851 trillion, respectively.

In the same vein, all other indices finished lower except the MERI Value, consumer goods, growth and sovereign bond indices, which appreciated by 0.70 per cent, 1.33 per cent, 0.15 per cent, and 0.04 per cent, respectively while the ASeM index closed flat.

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Economy

MRS Oil, Heyden, Ardova to Sell Dangote Petrol at N970 Per Litre

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heyden petroleum mrs oil ardova

By Dipo Olowookere

The three major partners of the Dangote Refinery in the Lekki area of Lagos, MRS Oil Nigeria, Heyden and Ardova Plc, will retail premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, at its stations across the country at N970 per litre.

This information was revealed by Dangote Refinery, owned by one of Africa’s richest businessmen, Mr Aliko Dangote.

The three independent oil marketers entered into a bulk-purchasing agreement with the oil facility, which has the capacity to refinery about 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

The deal, first sealed by MRS Oil, ensured that it retailed fuel at its petrol stations at N935 per cent litre.

However, last week, Dangote Refinery increased its ex-depot price from N899.50 per litre to N950 per litre due to a rise in the price of crude oil to $80 per litre in the global market from about $72 per barrel.

In a statement on Sunday made available to Business Post, Dangote Refinery said, “All our partners, including Ardova, Heyden, and MRS Holdings, will offer petrol to Nigerians at a retail price of N970 per litre nationwide.

“We have absorbed the increased logistics costs to guarantee uniform pricing across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”

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