Economy
Disappointing Chinese Trade Data Weigh on US Stocks
By Investors Hub
The major U.S. index futures are pointing to a lower opening on Monday, with stocks likely to come under pressure following the strong upward move seen last week.
Concerns about the global economic outlook are likely to lead to early weakness following the release of disappointing Chinese trade data.
Data from China?s General Administration of Customs showed exports tumbled by 4.4 percent year-over-year in December, reflecting the biggest drop in two years. Economists had expected exports to increase by 3 percent.
The report also said Chinese imports plunged by 7.6 percent in December compared to the same month a year ago, defying expectations for a 5 percent jump.
ING Greater China Economist Iris Pang said the contraction in Chinese imports and exports ?is likely to continue into 2019 due to falling foreign demand, including demand for Chinese-made electronic products.?
A negative reaction to quarterly results from Citigroup (C) may also weigh on the markets, as the financial giant reported fourth quarter earnings that exceeded analyst estimates but on weaker than expected revenues.
Financial giants JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), Bank of America (BAC), and Goldman Sachs (GS) are also due to report their quarterly results in the coming days.
After initially moving to the downside, stocks once again staged a recovery attempt over the course of the trading session on Friday. The major averages climbed well off worst levels of the day session but still closed slightly lower.
While the Nasdaq fell 14.59 points or 0.2 percent to 6,971.48, the Dow and the S&P 500 both edged down by less than a tenth of a percent. The Dow dipped 5.97 points to 23,995.95 and the S&P 500 slipped 0.38 points to 2,596.26.
Despite the modestly lower close on the day, the major averages moved significantly higher for the week. The Nasdaq surged up by 3.5 percent, while the Dow and the S&P 500 jumped by 2.4 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively.
The early weakness on Wall Street was partly due to profit taking, with traders cashing in on the gains seen over the five-session winning streak.
Concerns about the ongoing government shutdown and skepticism about a potential trade deal between the U.S. and China also weighed on the markets.
Selling pressure remained somewhat subdued, however, with recent upward momentum helping to limit the downside for the markets.
Traders seemed worried about missing out on further upside if the markets rebounded from the early pullback as they did in the previous session.
On the economic front, the Labor Department released a report showing a slight drop in consumer prices in the month of December.
The Labor Department said its consumer price index slipped by 0.1 percent in December after coming in unchanged in November. The slight drop in consumer prices matched economist estimates.
Energy prices showed another significant decrease during the month, plunging by 3.5 percent in December following a 2.2 percent slump in the previous month.
A steep drop in gasoline prices led the way lower, with gas prices plummeting by 7.5 percent in December after tumbling by 4.2 percent in November.
On the other hand, the report said food prices climbed by 0.4 percent in December, the largest increase since May of 2014. Prices for fruits and vegetables surged higher.
Excluding food and energy prices, the core consumer price index rose by 0.2 percent in December, matching the increases seen in the two previous months as well as expectations.
Higher prices for shelter, recreation, medical care, and household furnishings and operations more than offset lower prices for airline fares, used cars and trucks, and motor vehicle insurance.
The report said the annual rate of consume price growth slowed to 1.9 percent in December from 2.2 percent in November, while the annual rate of core consumer price growth was unchanged at 2.2 percent.
Most of the major sectors ended the day showing only modest moves, contributing to the lackluster close by the broader markets.
Tobacco stocks showed a substantial move to the upside, however, with the NYSE Arca Tobacco Index surging up by 2.6 percent. With the jump, the index reached its best closing level in almost a month.
Strength also emerged among semiconductor stocks, while oil service stocks climbed off their worst levels but still closed notably lower.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The board of Beta Glass Plc has been reorganised, with the addition of four new executives, who will help to drive the company’s next phase of innovation and growth.
In a statement, Beta Glass announced the appointments of four non-executive directors, who are Mr Nitin Kaul, Ms Olusola Carrena, Mr Bolaji Olatunbosun Osunsanya, and Mr Boye Olusanya.
They are replacing the departing Mr Emmanouil Metaxakis, Mr Vassilis Kararizos, Mr Serge Joris, and Mr Gagik Apkarian from the board.
Their appointments, however, are subject to the ratification of the shareholders of the organisation at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM) on June 26, 2026.
Mr Kaul brings to the team over 25 years of global experience in strategy, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and business transformation across developed and emerging markets. He is a Partner, Portfolio Operations and member of the Executive Committee at Helios Investment Partners. Prior to joining Helios, he co-founded a boutique advisory firm focused on M&A and operational improvement for private businesses. He previously served as President of diversified industrial and aftermarket businesses at Gates Corporation, where he
was part of the executive team that led its sale to Blackstone in 2014. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership roles at Tomkins and began his professional journey at Arthur Andersen. He currently serves on the boards of several companies across emerging markets.
As for Ms Carrena, she is a highly respected financial services leader with over 23 years of experience across investment banking, private equity, and corporate finance in Africa. She serves as Managing Director (Nigeria) on the Investment Team at Helios Investment Partners, where she oversees deal origination, execution, exits, and portfolio management across sectors. Before this, she spent a decade at Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited, rising to Executive Director and Head of Corporate Finance. During her tenure, she led and closed over 30 transactions valued at more than $4 billion across diverse industries, including oil and gas, FMCG, financial services, infrastructure, and healthcare. A CFA Charterholder, she holds a Master’s degree from the University of Alberta and a First-Class degree from the University of Lagos.
For Mr Osunsanya, he is an accomplished CEO, investor, and governance leader with more than 35 years of experience spanning energy, finance, and infrastructure. He previously served as Group CEO of Axxela Ltd., where he led strategic restructuring and significant value growth initiatives. Earlier, he held executive leadership roles at Oando PLC and Access Bank Plc, contributing to business transformation, governance strengthening, and sustainable expansion. He has served on the boards of several publicly listed and private companies, providing oversight in areas of strategy, audit, risk, and corporate governance, and remains an influential voice in Nigeria’s energy and financial sectors.
On the part of Mr Olusanya, he is a transformative business leader with over three decades of cross-industry experience spanning engineering, telecommunications, manufacturing, and agribusiness. He currently serves as chief executive of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, where he is leading a strategic transformation agenda focused on value chain integration, sustainability, and digital innovation. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of 9mobile and as Chief Transformation Officer at Dangote Industries Limited, driving enterprise-wide restructuring and operational efficiency programs. He also served as Group Operating Partner at Helios Investment Partners, overseeing performance optimisation across portfolio companies. In addition, he is Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, contributing to national economic policy dialogue and private-sector development.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reduced its ex-depot prices for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), marking the first downward adjustment after several sharp increases recorded in recent days.
According to the refinery’s latest pricing template released on March 10, 2026, the gantry price of petrol has been cut by N100 to N1,075 per litre, down from N1,175 per litre previously.
The 650,000 barrels per day capacity refinery also disclosed that PMS supplied through coastal distribution will now sell at N1,050 per litre, reflecting a marginal price differential for marine deliveries.
In addition, the gantry price of AGO, commonly known as diesel, has been reduced to N1,430 per litre, representing a N190 drop from the earlier price of N1,620 per litre.
The company noted that the quoted gantry prices exclude statutory charges imposed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The price adjustment came amid a recent decline in global crude oil prices, which has started to ease cost pressures across the international petroleum market and is influencing pricing trends in the downstream sector.
US President Donald Trump reassured markets and claimed the war would end soon, but Iran on Tuesday vowed not to let “a litre” of oil be exported from the Middle East until the United States and Israel stop bombing it.
Brent crude price, which hit a high of $109 per barrel, has now dropped to $90 per barrel, as the largest oil producers in the Middle East Gulf have deepened production cuts and are already lowering output by a combined more than 5 million barrels per day, as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has started to affect upstream production.
However, there are worries that, unlike the speed at which petrol stations hiked their cost at the pump, the revised ex-depot prices will not reflect through depot channels and translate into lower retail pump prices nationwide.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to urgently strengthen domestic refining capacity to shield the country from global petroleum market shocks.
The National President, PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry, on Monday called on the Group Chief Executive Officer of the state oil company, Mr Bayo Ojulari, to facilitate the immediate commencement of production at Nigeria’s local refineries.
Mr Gillis-Harry said that production at the refineries was paramount, particularly the Area five Plant at Port Harcourt Refinery and the Warri Refinery, which previously operated briefly before shutdown for profit index evaluation.
He said that this had become imperative due to the ongoing conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran, which was pushing global petroleum prices to alarming levels.
Projecting future trends, he warned that Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) could rise close to N2,000 per litre while Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) may approach N3,000 per litre if the situation persists.
He said that sustained drone and missile attacks now threaten critical oil routes and infrastructure, creating uncertainty in global supply chains.
“With no clear end to the conflict, petroleum product prices in both international and domestic markets are expected to rise sharply in the coming days.
“Before the crisis, PMS, known as fuel sold at N774 per litre, but now sells above N1,000 per litre, representing an increase of about 30 per cent.
“Diesel, previously sold at N950 per litre, has risen to N1,400 per litre and above, an increase of about 49 per cent,” he said.
Mr Gillis-Harry said that rehabilitating Nigeria’s refineries for immediate domestic production was critical.
On local refining, he said that it would reduce exposure to international market volatility, especially as Nigeria had abundant crude oil resources under the custody of NNPC Limited.
He said that government-owned refineries were less vulnerable to global supply disruptions compared to privately owned refineries dependent on imported crude.
The PETROAN president said that continued fuel price increases would worsen inflation, cause job losses, deepen economic hardship, increase transportation costs, and raise prices of goods and services nationwide.
“Fuel remains essential for daily mobility, while diesel is vital for manufacturing and industrial operations,” he said.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for the ongoing bold policies to reform the oil and gas sector, and called on Tinubu to direct the immediate rehabilitation and commencement of production at the government-owned refineries.
According to him, this will ultimately bring relief to citizens and stimulate economic growth.
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