Economy
Equities Attract N485.4bn in Q2 amid Desire to Hedge Against Inflation
By Dipo Olowookere
The desire to hedge against inflation has forced some investors back into the equity market, resulting in an increase in their participation in the landscape in the second quarter of 2022 when compared with the first quarter of the year.
According to data from the bourse, in Q2 of 2022, both local and foreign investors traded N485.4 billion worth of stocks on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited compared with the N346.4 billion traded in Q1 of 2022, indicating an increase of 40.11 per cent.
It was also gathered that in the period under review, traders bought and sold 54.3 billion equities, 143.83 per cent higher than the 22.3 billion equities transacted in the first three months of the year. In the same vein, the number of deals rose by 8.5 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 320,778 trades from 295,533 trades.
It was observed that the major attraction was some stocks with sound fundamentals as investors take a position in companies paying interim dividends as the market looks forward to half-year earnings of listed firms this month.
As a result of the buying pressure, the All-Share Index appreciated by 10.3 per cent to 51,817.59 points in Q2 2022 from 46,965.48 points in Q1 2022, while the market capitalisation grew to N27.94 trillion from N25.31 trillion.
While commenting on the trading data, the chief executive of Wyoming Capital & Partners, Mr Tajudeen Olayinka, noted that improved liquidity in the system in the last six months is responsible for the positive performance of the Nigerian stock market.
Other factors driving liquidity in the equities market, he added, are “instant payment of dividends to shareholders through electronic means (e-dividend), provides opportunities for immediate reinvestment of these dividends, especially by institutional investors, who manage funds and portfolios for clients.
“This did not leave out other traditional investors, who took advantage of low prices, in the run-up to financial year-end rallies that we saw at the beginning of the year 2022.”
He further attributed the buying interests to the “negative real return in the fixed income market and the need to hedge against inflation.”
According to him, “Equity market is an inflation adjusting market, and so, some investors who were willing to hedge against inflation, irrespective of the downside risk that the market poses, decided to bring liquidity back to the equity market.”
“The ongoing crash in the crypto market brought liquidity back to the equity market. It has been said that more Nigerian investors participate actively in the crypto space, and so, the sudden, though long expected crash in that market, made some affected Nigerian investors cut their losses, for less volatile and recoverable opportunities in the equity market.
“Availability of derivative products is encouraging more institutional investors to embrace the equity market. Investors can now short or long the market at ease. All these activities provide liquidity to the market,” Mr Olayinka further stated.
Business Post observed that in the period under consideration, the value of fixed income at the exchange rose by 38.7 per cent to N1.01 trillion from N728.9 billion reported in Q1 2022.
According to the data by the NGX, the volume of fixed income traded moved to 972,206.00 in Q2 2022 from 688,564 reported in Q1 2022, while its market capitalisation jumped to N22.23 trillion from N21.42 trillion.
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited witnessed Santa Claus rally on Wednesday after it closed higher by 0.12 per cent.
Strong demand for Nigerian stocks lifted the All-Share Index (ASI) by 185.70 points during the pre-Christmas trading session to 153,539.83 points from 153,354.13 points.
In the same vein, the market capitalisation expanded at midweek by N118 billion to N97.890 trillion from the preceding day’s N97.772 trillion.
Investor sentiment on Customs Street remained bullish after closing with 36 appreciating equities and 22 depreciating equities, indicating a positive market breadth index.
Guinness Nigeria chalked up 9.98 per cent to trade at N318.60, Austin Laz improved by 9.97 per cent to N3.20, International Breweries expanded by 9.85 per cent to N14.50, Transcorp Hotels rose by 9.83 per cent to N170.90, and Aluminium Extrusion grew by 9.73 per cent to N16.35.
On the flip side, Legend Internet lost 9.26 per cent to close at N4.90, AXA Mansard shrank by 7.14 per cent to N13.00, Jaiz Bank declined by 5.45 per cent to N4.51, MTN Nigeria weakened by 5.21 per cent to N504.00, and NEM Insurance crashed by 4.74 per cent to N24.10.
Yesterday, a total of 1.8 billion shares valued at N30.1 billion exchanged hands in 19,372 deals versus the 677.4 billion shares worth N20.8 billion traded in 27,589 deals in the previous session, implying a slump in the number of deals by 29.78 per cent, and a surge in the trading volume and value by 165.72 per cent and 44.71 per cent apiece.
Abbey Mortgage Bank was the most active equity for the day after it sold 1.1 billion units worth N7.1 billion, Sterling Holdings traded 127.1 million units valued at N895.9 million, Custodian Investment exchanged 115.0 million units for N4.5 billion, First Holdco transacted 40.9 million units valued at N2.2 billion, and Access Holdings traded 38.2 million units worth N783.3 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian food and beverage company, Rite Foods Limited, has extended warm Yuletide greetings to Nigerians as families and communities worldwide come together to celebrate the Christmas season and usher in a new year filled with hope and renewed possibilities.
In a statement, Rite Foods encouraged consumers to savour these special occasions with its wide range of quality brands, including the 13 variants of Bigi Carbonated Soft Drinks, premium Bigi Table Water, Sosa Fruit Drink in its refreshing flavours, the Fearless Energy Drink, and its tasty sausage rolls — all produced in a world-class facility with modern technology and global best practices.
Speaking on the season, the Managing Director of Rite Foods Limited, Mr Seleem Adegunwa, said the company remains deeply committed to enriching the lives of consumers beyond refreshment. According to him, the Yuletide period underscores the values of generosity, unity, and gratitude, which resonate strongly with the company’s philosophy.
“Christmas is a season that reminds us of the importance of giving, togetherness, and gratitude. At Rite Foods, we are thankful for the continued trust of Nigerians in our brands. This season strengthens our resolve to consistently deliver quality products that bring joy to everyday moments while contributing positively to society,” Mr Adegunwa stated.
He noted that the company’s steady progress in brand acceptance, operational excellence, and responsible business practices reflects a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and responsiveness to consumer needs. These efforts, he said, have further strengthened Rite Foods’ position as a proudly Nigerian brand with growing relevance and impact across the country.
Mr Adegunwa reaffirmed that Rite Foods will continue to invest in research and development, efficient production processes, and initiatives that support communities, while maintaining quality standards across its product portfolio.
“As the year comes to a close, Rite Foods Limited wishes Nigerians a joyful Christmas celebration and a prosperous New Year filled with peace, progress, and shared success.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira closed the pre-Christmas trading day positive after it gained N6.61 or 0.46 per cent against the US Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) on Wednesday, December 24, trading at N1,443.38/$1 compared with the previous day’s N1,449.99/$1.
Equally, the Naira appreciated against the Pound Sterling in the same market segment by N1.30 to close at N1,949.57/£1 versus Tuesday’s closing price of N1,956.03/£1 and gained N2.94 on the Euro to finish at N1,701.31/€1 compared with the preceding day’s N1,707.65/€1.
At the parallel market, the local currency maintained stability against the greenback yesterday at N1,485/$1 and also traded flat at the GTBank forex counter at N1,465/$1.
Further support came as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) funded international payments with additional $150 million sales to banks and authorised dealers at the official window.
This helped eased pressure on the local currency, reflecting a steep increase in imports. Market participants saw a sequence of exchange rate swings amidst limited FX inflows.
Last week, the apex bank led the pack in terms of FX supply into the market as total inflows fell by about 50 per cent week on week from $1.46 billion in the previous week.
Foreign portfolio investors’ inflows ranked behind exporters and the CBN supply, but there was support from non-bank corporate Dollar volume.
As for the cryptocurrency market, it witnessed a slight recovery as tokens struggled to attract either risk-on enthusiasm or defensive flows.
The inertia follows a sharp reversal earlier in the quarter. A heavy selloff in October pulled Bitcoin and other coins down from record levels, leaving BTC roughly down by 30 per cent since that period and on track for its weakest quarterly performance since the second quarter of 2022. But on Wednesday, its value went up by 0.9 per cent to $87,727.35.
Further, Ripple (XRP) appreciated by 1.7 per cent to $1.87, Cardano (ADA) expanded by 1.2 per cent to $0.3602, Dogecoin (DOGE) grew by 1.1 per cent to $0.1282, Litecoin (LTC) also increased by 1.1 per cent to $76.57, Solana (SOL) soared by 1.0 per cent to $122.31, Binance Coin (BNB) rose by 0.6 per cent to $842.37, and Ethereum (ETH) added 0.3 per cent to finish at $2,938.83, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $1.00 each.
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