Economy
Excitement as Stock Investors to Pocket N780bn Dividends
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
More than N780 billion will be pocketed by stock investors in Nigeria as dividends proposed by various companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited in the coming weeks and months.
The market has been bubbling with activities as a result of the recently proposed dividends from companies, with shareholders rebalancing their portfolios and taking positions.
So far, 16 companies across seven sectors including consumer goods, financial services, industrial goods, oil and gas, services, healthcare and IT, have paid out a total of N782.2 billion as the final dividend payout for the year ended December 31, 2021.
The dividend has remained one of the key factors that traditionally drive stock market activities and aids investment decisions towards stocks across the globe, and the Nigerian bourse is not an exception.
A dividend is a payment made by a corporation to its shareholders, usually as a distribution of profits. When a corporation earns a profit or surplus, the corporation is able to re-invest the profit in the business called retained earnings and pay a proportion of the profit as a dividend to shareholders.
For the period under review, under the consumer goods sector, Vitafoam paid N1.876 billion, representing N1.50 per share. Dangote Sugar Refinery proposed a final dividend of N12.147 or N1.00 per share, while Nestle Nigeria declared a N20.213 billion dividend of N25.50 per share.
NASCON Allied Industries and Nigerian Breweries set to pay dividends of N1.060 billion and N9.691 billion, representing 40 kobo per share and N1.20 per share, respectively.
Under the financial services sector, shareholders of United Capital, African Prudential, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), Zenith Bank and United Bank for Africa (UBA) will receive a total dividend of N9 billion, N1 billion, N79.464 billion, N87.910 and N27.360 billion, representing N1.50 per share, 50 kobo per share, N2.70 per cent, N2.80 per cent and 80 kobo per share in that order.
Also, Dangote Cement and Lafarge Africa listed under the industrial goods sector proposed a final dividend of N340.82 billion, representing N20 per share and N16.108 billion or N1 per share, respectively. Seplat Energy to pay a dividend of $0.426 cent per cent, making a total payout of N250.677 million in naira, while Transcorp Hotels, listed under services sector declared a dividend of N716.977 million or seven kobo (N0.07) per share.
Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals proposed N132.941 million final dividend or seven kobo (0.07) per share, while MTN Nigerian Communications (MTNN) declared a final dividend of N8.57 per share, amounting to N174.442 billion.
Speaking on the development, the Chief Executive Officer, NGX, Mr Temi Popoola, stated that the NGX has continued to be innovative and leverage technology to drive much more activity in the market.
Mr Popoola while stating that NGX strategy for 2022 said the exchange intends to keep building on the momentum on its digital journey across value chains adding that there may be digitalized listings and digitization of its product or offerings.
He noted that this is important because the belly of the Nigerian demography is huge and the exchange currently represented by older people, needs the young generation to bridge that gap, technology is needed and revealed that lots of work will be on the experience, retail, integration of its market to financial service players, especially banks.
While expressing confidence that few listings will take place on the platform of NGX, Popoola said the exchange is looking at diversifying the types of listings across foods, power, agriculture, hence having representation of GDP on the nation’s bourse.
NGX boss further added that the exchange will be partnering with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in launching a NASDAQ style board- a technology board that will be suited better for technological companies to be flexible enough to find capital formation on the exchange as well as attract capital into Nigeria, for Nigerians in the Diaspora and for investors (foreign and local investors).
Furthermore, market analysts noted dividend-paying stocks is very important to income investors for many reasons, saying that the reason is that dividend payment is playing a role in stock valuation.
“Beyond valuation, dividend-paying stocks can be a good source of stable income streams. Many investors will want to invest in companies with a history of growing dividends,” they said.
Market analyst and Managing Director/CEO APT Securities and Funds Limited, Mr Garba Kurfi commended listed companies for posting impressive results and accounts for 2021, expressing concerns that the declared dividend by these companies did not reflect in the trajectory of the stock market.
According to him, these companies have declared impressive dividend payout to investors but I do not know why the stock market did not respond to dividend payout by Dangote Cement, Zenith Bank, among others. Although the likes of GTCO and UBA released their audited accounts after the close of trading last week, I am yet to see stock price appreciation.
“Take, for instance, Lafarge Africa last year was trading at N31 and declared N1.00 per ordinary but this year, the company declared N2.00 and trading at N24.00 per share. The dividend by these companies has not reflected in our domestic market.”
By Dipo Olowookere
Renewed buying interest raised the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited by 0.33 per cent on Monday, with gains recorded in almost all the major sectors of the bourse at the close of transactions.
According to data harvested by Business Post, the insurance counter expanded by 0.62 per cent, the banking index grew by 0.59 per cent, the energy sector appreciated by 0.40 per cent, and the consumer goods space improved by 0.10 per cent, while the industrial goods segment closed flat.
When the closing gong was struck by 4 pm to signify the close of business on Customs Street, the All-Share Index (ASI) was up by 1,113.76 points to 243,707.07 points from 242,593.31 points, and the market capitalisation chalked up N714 billion to close at N156.308 trillion compared with the previous session’s N155.594 trillion.
Interest in Nigerian stocks yesterday resulted in a rise in the activity level, with the trading volume soaring by 17.86 per cent to 717.2 million units from 608.5 million units. The trading value advanced by 77.19 per cent to N56.7 billion from N32.0 billion, and the number of deals surged by 36.22 per cent to 73,321 deals from 53,826 deals.
FCMB was the busiest stock during the trading day, with a turnover of 152.3 million units worth N1.8 billion, Premier Paints exchanged 61.0 million units valued at N135.3 million, Dangote Cement traded 34.7 million units for N29.7 billion, The Initiates sold 32.8 million units worth N1.0 billion, and Jaiz Bank transacted 32.6 million units valued at N293.3 million.
Yesterday, the market breadth index was positive after the exchange closed with 37 price gainers and 28 price losers, representing strong investor sentiment.
International Energy Insurance gained 9.92 per cent to settle at N7.98, the Initiates added 9.91 per cent to its share price to quote at N32.15, ABC Transport garnered 9.68 per cent to trade at N6.80, Abbey Mortgage Bank grew by 9.63 per cent to close at N10.25, and Linkage Assurance soared by 9.36 per cent to N1.87.
On the flip side, Fidson Healthcare gave up 10.00 per cent to finish at N122.85, Academy Press crashed by 9.70 per cent to N7.45, RT Briscoe depreciated by 9.43 per cent to N13.45, SUNU Assurances tumbled by 9.37 per cent to N4.06, and Learn Africa decreased by 8.70 per cent to N10.50.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange recorded a marginal 0.05 per cent drop on Monday, June 8, depleting the market capitalisation by N1.27 billion to N2.606 trillion from N2.607 trillion, and cutting the Unlisted Security Index (NSI) by 2.12 points to 4,356.20 points from the previous 4,358.32 points.
The contraction witnessed during the session was triggered by a price loser, which overpowered that gains recorded by two securities on the trading platform.
Data indicated that MRS Oil Plc lost N6 at the close of business to settle at N165.00 per share compared with last Friday’s price of N171.00 per share.
Conversely, Lighthouse Financial Services Plc added 9 Kobo to sell at N1.03 per unit versus 94 Kobo per unit, and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc appreciated by 8 Kobo to N78.48 per share from N78.40 per share.
The volume of securities traded by investors yesterday soared by 51.9 per cent to 213,188 units from 140,345 units, and the value of securities increased by 12.6 per cent to N20.2 million from N17.9 million, while the number of deals executed fell by 7.4 per cent to 25 deals from 27 deals.
Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units valued at N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 64.8 million units exchanged for N4.4 billion.
GNI Plc also remained as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, trailed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units transacted for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units traded for N415.7 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira opened the new trading week on a negative note on Monday at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) and the black market.
At the parallel market, the Nigerian currency weakened against the US Dollar by N5 to sell for N1,380/$1 compared with the preceding session’s rate of N1,375/$1, and at the GTBank FX desk, it shed N1 to trade at N1,373/$1 versus N1,372/$1.
At the official market, it lost 63 Kobo or 0.05 per cent against the Dollar during the session to close at N1,362.84/$1, in contrast to last Friday’s value of N1,362.21/$1.
However, the Nigerian Naira gained N2.30 against the Pound Sterling at the spot market yesterday, quoting at N1,821.29/£1 compared with the previous rate of N1,823.59/£1, and improved against the Euro by 23 Kobo to settle at N1,574.35/€1 versus N1,574.58/€1.
Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that interbank forex turnover increased to $92.248 million across 90 deals, from $73.565 million last Friday.
On the policy front, participants believed that the application of the fourth edition of the Foreign Exchange Manual of the central bank, which introduces updated guidelines for foreign exchange transactions and tightening compliance requirements for authorised dealers and market participants, will enhance market flexibility and ease previous restrictions.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market snapped from recent declines, jolted by Strategy’s purchase of 1,550 Bitcoin for approximately $101 million, increasing its total holdings to 845,256 BTC. The company raised $181 million through common stock sales, using the proceeds to fund the bitcoin purchase and increase its cash reserves to $1 billion, pushing the price of the coin higher by 3.2 per cent to $63,731.69.
Cardano (ADA) appreciated by 8.4 per cent to $0.1738, Ethereum (ETH) rose by 5.2 per cent to $1,711.54, Solana (SOL) expanded by 5.1 per cent to $67.82, and Ripple (XRP) improved by 4.9 per cent to $1.18.
Further, Dogecoin (DOGE) jumped by 4.3 per cent to $0.0873, Binance Coin (BNB) soared by 2.7 per cent to $609.50, and TRON (TRX) increased by 0.7 per cent to $0.3274, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $0.9997 and $0.9998, respectively.
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