Economy
Equities Investors Rake over N2.2tr in Q1 2017
By The Nation
Equities’ investors at the stock market are smiling to the bank as they netted more than N2.2 trillion gains in the first half of the year, The Nation is reporting.
Most quoted equities closed the first half at the weekend at their four-year best performance with double-digit returns ahead of inflation. Most investors saw their portfolios rising by almost a quarter, while others garnered more than double the average benchmark.
The six-month average year-to-date return at the weekend stood at 23.23 percent, almost seven percentage points ahead of the current inflation rate of 16.25 percent. In monetary terms, the year-to-date gain stood at N2.2 trillion, underlining the fact that the appreciation in market value was driven by share price increases rather than new listings.
Aggregate market value of all quoted equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) closed the first half at N11.452 trillion as against 2017’s opening value of N9.247 trillion, representing a net capital gain of N2.205 trillion or 23.85 percent.
The All Share Index (ASI)-the benchmark index that doubles as sovereign equities index for Nigeria, crossed seven levels to close at 33,117.48 points in the review period, compared with its year’s opening index of 26,874.62 points, representing an increase of 23.23 percent.
The rebound in the first half, driven largely by gains recorded in the second quarter, represents a major recovery for hard-pressed investors, who had lost N3.98 trillion in the past three years.
The stock market had been on a losing streak since 2014. Investors lost N1.75 trillion in 2014 and followed this with another loss of N1.63 trillion in 2015. Against the expectation that political transition and a new government will quicken a rebound, equities closed 2016 with a net capital loss of N604 billion.
Aggregate market value of all quoted equities on the NSE closed 2016 at N9.247 trillion, as against N13.226 trillion recorded at the start of trading in 2014, representing a net capital loss of N3.98 trillion.
Managing Director, Cowry Asset Management Limited, Johnson Chukwu, said the recovery was a response to positive changes in the polity, noting that the stock market performance usually aligns with macroeconomic outlook.
He said the market had remained depressed in the first quarter under poor liquidity, amidst uncertain and unrealistic foreign exchange management.But the market turned around in the second quarter, he pointed out, with the changes in the foreign exchange management and improvement in macroeconomic coordination.
Chukwu said the market recovery was boosted by the introduction of the Investors’ and Exporters’ foreign exchange window, as well as the narrowing of the exchange rates between official and parallel rates due to policy stimulation by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
He said the improvement in foreign exchange market and overall macroeconomic performance encouraged foreign portfolio investors to redirect funds to Nigerian equities, thereby supporting the domestic investors’ base.
He added that the ongoing revision of the investment guidelines for pension funds administrators (PFAs), which includes mandatory investment off a certain percentage of pension funds in equities, also encouraged many PFAs to take early positions in equities ahead of the release of the final guidelines.
GTI Capital Chief Operating Officer, Kehinde Hassan, said the market was primed for recovery by the steep declines in previous years and substantial undervaluation of several equities, pointing out that the steady corporate earnings in the previous year and first quarter of this year boosted investors’enthusiasm as companies majorly have shown resilience in the face of the tough operating environment.
He said with global projections indicating a positive outlook for the economy and the prospects that corporate earnings may remain steady, investors viewed the undervaluation of quoted equities as an incentive.
Banking stocks have been major drivers of the rally after first quarter earnings showed a largely positive performance. The Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), reported pre-tax profit of about N234 billion on gross earnings of N1.07 trillion in the first quarter of this year.
Key extracts of the interim report and accounts of banks for the three-month period ended March 31, 2017, indicated that total assets rose to N35.3 trillion by the end of the review period, driven largely by profit accretion as all tracked banks posted a profit during the period. Gross earnings totaled N1.072 trillion, driven mostly by growth in core banking operations. Profit before tax stood at N233.66 billion while profit after tax stood at N196.7 billion.
About 80 percent of tracked banks recorded higher pre and post tax profits compared with the corresponding period of the previous year while nearly all banks reported growths in top-line earnings. Average gross earnings for the industry in the first quarter stood at N71.47 billion while average profit before tax stood at N15.57 billion. After taxes, average net profit stood at N13.11 billion on the back of average total assets of N2.35 trillion.
The Nation had tracked the results of all quoted banks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), with the exception of the troubled Skye Bank, which has not submitted both the audited report for 2016 and first quarter result for 2017. The report of Skye Bank will not lead to any material change in the overall figures for the sector. There are altogether 16 banks quoted on the NSE including Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, United Bank for Africa, FBN Holdings, FCMB Group, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Unity Bank, Sterling Bank, Fidelity Bank, Union Bank of Nigeria, Wema Bank, Diamond Bank, Jaiz Bank and Skye Bank.
Banks’ chiefs said they were optimistic of continuing growths in the remaining period of the year, citing expected improvement in the macroeconomic environment.
“We remain positive that economic activities will improve as the economy is beginning to show signs of positive outlook due to an increase in the supply of foreign exchange to both retail and corporate users and decreasing headline inflation,” Stanbic IBTC Holdings Chief Executive, Mr. Yinka Sanni, said.
Sterling Bank Managing Director, Mr. Yemi Adeola, said the first quarter of this year’s performance was in line with expectations, noting that the bank would continue to explore innovative ways to improve revenue, while simultaneously enhancing the overall efficiency of its business operations.
“We remain committed to maximising shareholders’ value and delivering a superior and sustainable return, guided by our founding values of hard work, discipline and integrity,” Managing Director, Guaranty Trust Bank, Mr Segun Agbaje, said.
Source: The Nation
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
As the world, particularly the United States prepare for the second coming of Mr Donald Trump to the White House next Monday, there have been significant interest in the cryptocurrency market.
Mr Trump, who was the President of the US from 2017 to 2021, won the 2024 presidential election by defeating the current Vice President, Ms Kamala Harris, who was the candidate of the Democratic Party, and will be sworn-in on Monday, January 20, 2025, for a second term in office.
The Head of Research at Derive.xyz, Mr Sean Dawson, while commenting on the renewed interest in Bitcoin ((BTC) and other digital coins in the market, said, “In the last 24 hours, BTC trading activity has surged, with open interest hitting an impressive $237 million.
“With 38 per cent of BTC contracts being calls bought and 37.3 per cent puts bought, it’s clear that traders are positioning for increased volatility, particularly with the inauguration just days away.
“This appetite for market swings likely reflects growing uncertainty in U.S. markets as expectations for a near-term rate cut diminish.”
“Additionally, bearish sentiment appears to be gaining traction, with BTC puts now making up 40 per cent of all open interest, a sharp increase from 20 per cent just last week. This shift suggests traders are hedging against potential downside risks as we approach the inauguration.
“Implied volatility (IV) trends further highlight this heightened uncertainty. BTC’s 7-day ATM IV has risen by 3 per cent to 56.5 per cent, while the 30-day IV is up 1.5 per cent, now at 57.5%. This steady climb points to a more volatile market sentiment leading up to the event,” he further said.
”ETH, on the other hand, has seen an even more pronounced spike in IV. Over the past 24 hours, ETH’s 7-day IV has surged by 6 per cent to 74 per cent, nearly double the rise seen in BTC.
“Meanwhile, its 30-day IV has climbed 2.5 per cent to 69.5 per cent. This disparity suggests ETH traders are anticipating greater immediate volatility, possibly due to its higher sensitivity to macroeconomic shifts and speculation surrounding post-inauguration policies.
“As the inauguration draws near, these trends underline a pivotal moment for traders, with both BTC and ETH markets reflecting a mix of caution and readiness for potential sharp moves,” Mr Dawson stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s inflation hit 34.80 per cent in December 2024 from 34.60 per cent in November 2024, spurred by festive activities.
This was disclosed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its first published data after almost a month of blackout on its website following a purported hack.
The December 2024 headline inflation rate showed a marginal increase of 0.20 per cent compared to the November 2024 headline inflation rate.
This was due to December festive period increases in demand for goods and services.
On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 5.87 per cent higher than the rate recorded in December 2023 (28.92 per cent). This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in December 2024 compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., December 2023).
On the contrary, the month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in December 2024 was 2.44 per cent, which was 0.20 per cent lower than the rate recorded in November 2024 at 2.64 per cent.
This means that in December 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is slightly lower than the rate of increase in the average price level in November 2024.
Meanwhile, the food inflation rate in the festive month was 39.84 per cent on a year-on-year basis, 5.91 per cent points higher compared to the rate recorded in December 2023 at 33.93 per cent.
The rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of the following items; yam, water yam, sweet potatoes, etc (potatoes, yam & other tubers class), beer, pinto (tobacco class), guinea corn, maize grains, rice, etc (bread and cereals class), and dried fish-sadine, catfish dried, etc (fish class).
On a month-on-month basis, the Food inflation rate in December 2024 was 2.66 per cent which shows a 0.32 per cent decrease compared to the rate recorded in November 2024 at 2.98 per cent.
The decline can be attributed to the rate of decrease in the average prices of local beer (burukutu), pinto (tobacco Class), fruit juice in tin, malt drinks, etc (soft drinks class), rice, millet, maize flour, etc (bread and cereals class) and water yam, irish potatoes, coco yam, etc (potatoes, yam & other tubers class).
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
President Bola Tinubu has called on investors to collaborate with his administration on the issuance of the third Sovereign Green Bond later this year.
Speaking on Wednesday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mr Tinubu said his government was ready to work with other nations to build a resilient, equitable, and sustainable world for all.
“Our energy transition plans, like many nations, are aimed at diversifying energy sources and reducing dependency on fossil fuels, prioritising the transition to cleaner energy sources as a cornerstone of our national development strategy,” the President said on the second day of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week themed From Climate Imperatives into Economic Prosperity: Bridging Africa with the Global Energy Future.
He called on partner countries to collaborate in mobilising resources to tackle these challenges and embrace innovation and technology.
“To promote a Green Economy in Africa, we must focus on integrating sustainable practices in all sectors of our economy.
“These investments are capital intensive and require international support from partner countries, including multinational organisations, development partners and individuals who share our vision of a sustainable, prosperous and equitable future,” he stated.
President Tinubu said, “Nigeria became the first country in Africa to initiate funding of green projects through Sovereign Green Bond proceeds, the third issuance of which is in progress.
“We urge investors to partner with us in this regard. Our administration remains committed to providing an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in Nigeria.
“By partnering with global leaders and harnessing the power of technology, we are finding new and innovative ways to address our environmental challenges. We have arable agricultural lands for advanced technological farming, including a bright future for Artificial Intelligence.”
He declared that no single nation can walk the road to sustainability alone, stressing that global interconnectedness demands collective action, knowledge sharing, and mutual support.
“The fight against climate change is not merely an environmental necessity but a global economic opportunity to reshape the trajectory of our continent and the global energy landscape.
“As leaders, stakeholders and citizens of our planet, we stand at a critical juncture in human history. To succeed, we must innovate, collaborate and act decisively as one global community,” the Nigerian leader disclosed.
Reiterating his administration’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions, President Tinubu assured the audience that the Nigerian government had developed actionable programmes in line with global expectations, bearing in mind Nigeria’s economic and political expectations.
“We have embraced a vision of sustainability that aligns with global aspirations while addressing local realities. Our efforts are anchored on three pillars: Energy Transition, Climate Resilience, and Sustainable Development.
“My administration recognises the importance of reducing carbon emissions and a just transition to clean and renewable energy, promoting environmental sustainability and economic growth,” he noted.
Mr Tinubu added that Nigeria is developing infrastructure for the widespread use of Compressed Natural Gas and electric vehicles and harnessing the potential in solid minerals to support the green energy transition.
He stressed that his country is also implementing climate-smart agricultural practices to enhance food security and lessen its destructive environmental impact.
These include the introduction of the National Clean Cooking Policy, which aims to promote clean energy, environmental and health benefits, and socio-economic development in the African region.
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