Economy
Factors Contributing to Stock Market Rally
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The recent rally in the equity market has opened a window for the quoted companies to raise equity capital to finance their expansion projects. The bearish trends that dominated the equity market in the last few years have caused many companies to abandon the market as a source of raising long-term capital.
The Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index (NSEASI), which measures the performance of the equity market, appreciated by 20% between March 06, 2017 and May 31, 2017. A large proportion of this gain occurred in the last four weeks, as the Index appreciated by 15.13% between April 26 and May 31, 2017.
The Year-to-Date (YTD) return on the NSEASI as at May 31, 2017 stood at 9.76%. Although the return on the NSEASI is lower than the inflation rate of 17.24% as at April 2017 and the average YTD yield of 22.95% on the 364-Day Nigerian Treasury Bill (NTB), the returns on most of the highly capitalised stocks are higher than the inflation rate and the average yield on the 364-Day NTB.
The factors responsible for the appreciation in the equity market include the improvement in the Q1, 2017 results of quoted companies compared with the corresponding period of last year and the prospect of better performance in subsequent quarters.
Other factors include the increase in the supply of foreign exchange, improved crude oil production and price, improved investors’ confidence in the Nigerian economy and the financial market, increase in the participation of both the local and foreign investors in the markets and the boost to the economy by the passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB).
The sectoral analysis of performance of the equity market in the first five months of the year 2017 shows that the Banking sub-sector recorded the best performance, followed by the Insurance, Industrial and Consumer Goods sub-sectors.
The NSE Banking Index gained by 30.70% as at May 31, 2017; the NSE Insurance Index gained 9.77%; the NSE Industrial Index gained 9.15%, while the NSE Consumer Goods Index gained 2.97%.
Meanwhile, the NSE Oil and Gas Index lost 5.45% of its value in the period under review. As at May 31, 2017 the share price of Oando recorded a strong return of 80%, mainly due to the news of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to manage the Port Harcourt Refinery.
Stanbic IBTC Holdings, UBA, GT Bank, Access Bank, and Zenith Bank all recorded impressive appreciation in their share prices on the strength of the impressive Q1 2017 results the banks announced. Although the profitability of FBN Holdings dropped in Q1 2017 compared with Q1 2016, the ongoing clean-up of its nonperforming assets sends a positive signal that the worst may be over. Transnational Corporation of Nigeria’s share price also recorded impressive appreciation as a result of the favourable Q1 2017 result the company announced.
There are indications that the company will benefit from the FGN intervention fund for the power sector.
The lull in the equity market in the last few years has paralysed equity capital raising exercise in the capital market. Quoted companies opted for debt capital to finance their expansion plans even in situations where the debt capital option was not the most appropriate. Some companies also sourced capital from abroad despite the exchange rate risk.
The recent economic challenges and the high interest rate on debt securities in Nigeria have imposed limitations on companies’ ability to issue debt capital to fund expansion. As the economy is gradually exiting the current recession, there would be a need for companies to expand production capacities.
Thus, the current rally in the equity capital market offers a great incentive for quoted companies to access the market to raise the needed equity capital for their expansion projects. As activities increase in the primary market segment of the equity market, the demand for debt capital may drop.
Consequently, we expect the interest rate and yields on the fixed income securities to drop.
Source: FSDH Research
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) are collaborating to develop a regulatory framework to provide operational guidelines for Submarine Cables and Pipeline Operators in Nigeria.
Submarine and cable operators in Nigeria have been notified of the soon-to-be-implemented regulatory guideline for submarine cables and pipelines in Nigeria, in line with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Speaking at a pre-audit meeting of both organs of government in Lagos on submarine cable regulation, the Director General of NIMASA, Mr Bashir Jamoh, noted that the agency was committed to the Ease of Doing Business while implementing International Conventions which Nigeria has ratified and domesticated.
He noted that with Nigeria now a destination for global communication players, the time has come to prevent unregulated underwater cable laying, which might become hazardous to shipping.
According to him, “It is worthy to note that marine cable laying has been ongoing for over two decades in Nigerian waters. Our focus is to ensure the safety of navigation of shipping in Nigerian waters with all these underwater cables being laid.”
“NIMASA is developing the guidelines to regulate submarine cable operators in line with the provisions of UNCLOS; which we have ratified and NIMASA will be the agency responsible for its implementation.
“We do not just implement laws; we consult. Where the responsibility of an Agency stops, that is where the responsibilities of another agency start. Collaboration is a key component of ease of doing business in the best interest of the country and we will work closely with the NCC to achieve this,” he said.
On his part, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Mr Umar Garba Danbatta, who was represented by the Director, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, Mr Efosa Idehen, noted that the stakeholders’ dialogue strategy adopted by NIMASA in developing the guidelines would ensure a win-win situation urging NIMASA management to include the Ministry of Justice, a request NIMASA DG immediately granted.
Also speaking at the meeting was the Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Mr Dasuki Arabi, who commended NIMASA and NCC for adopting effective Inter-Agency collaboration to avert a potential challenge for the country in the future.
NIMASA and the NCC also agreed to identify and resolve areas of likely regulatory overlaps, ensuring a regulatory framework based on consultation to engender the attainment of Nigeria’s digital economy transformation.
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited recorded a 0.06 per cent loss on Friday as a result of the selling pressure on some blue-chip stocks at the bourse.
It was observed that the decline was mainly driven by the poor performances of financial and industrial goods shares during the trading session.
Data obtained by Business Post showed that the insurance space lost 1.01 per cent, the industrial goods counter depreciated by 0.66 per cent, the banking sector declined by 0.25 per cent, and the consumer goods category shed 0.21 per cent, while the energy index remained flat.
Consequently, the All-Share Index (ASI) moderated by 31.55 points to 54,892.53 points from 54,924.08 points, and the market capitalisation went down by N18 billion to N29.903 trillion from N29.921 trillion.
A total of 137.6 million shares valued at N3.9 billion exchanged hands in 2,912 deals on the last trading session of the week compared with the 117.9 million shares worth N1.4 billion traded in the preceding session in 2,575 deals, representing an improvement in the trading volume, value and the number of deals by 16.71 per cent, 178.57 per cent, and 13.09 per cent, respectively.
Fidelity Bank closed the session as the most traded equity after it sold 21.5 million units and was trailed by GTCO, which sold 14.9 million units. Neimeth traded 14.0 million shares, UBA exchanged 12.8 million equities, and Transcorp traded 8.9 million stocks.
Investor sentiment was slightly strong yesterday as the market breadth was positive with 13 price gainers and 11 price losers led by AIICO Insurance, which fell by 5.00 per cent to 57 Kobo.
Linkage Assurance depleted by 4.76 per cent to 40 Kobo, Coronation Insurance went down by 4.76 per cent to 40 Kobo, International Breweries depreciated by 2.25 per cent to N4.35, and Transcorp lost 2.19 per cent to trade at N1.34.
On the flip side, NPF Microfinance gained 6.94 per cent to finish at N1.85, Geregu Power appreciated by 6.25 per cent to N323.00, Lasaco Assurance rose by 5.00 per cent to N1.05, Chams grew by 4.17 per cent to 25 Kobo, and Japaul improved by 3.57 per cent to 29 Kobo.
Analysis of the market data indicated losses reported by BUA Cement (1.60 per cent), Nigerian Breweries (0.55 per cent), GTCO (0.25 per cent), and Zenith Bank (0.15 per cent) caused the downfall of the exchange on Friday.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The market capitalisation of the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange recorded a 5.3 per cent appreciation at the final session for the week, Friday, March 24, to close at N1.01 trillion from N959.06 billion on Thursday.
Business Post reports that this is the second time the value of the NASD OTC exchange would cross the N1 trillion mark.
The first was when Access Bank Plc was admitted to the alternative stock exchange in March 2022 and about a year later, it again crossed the same mark after Purple Real Estate Income Plc joined the platform on Thursday and began trading the next day.
Meanwhile, the NASD Unlisted Securities Index (NSI) grew by 0.5 points or 0.07 per cent yesterday to wrap the session at 730.37 points compared with 729.87 points recorded in the previous session.
The day’s single price gainer was Geo-Fluids Plc, which improved its value by 16 Kobo to close at N1.80 per share versus Thursday’s closing price of N1.64 per share.
The volume of securities traded by investors depreciated on Friday by 67.3 per cent to 1.7 million units from 5.2 million units, the value of transactions slumped by 87.2 per cent to N3.1 million from N24.3 million, while the number of deals decreased by 78.6 per cent to three deals from the 14 deals carried out in the previous trading day.
Geo-Fluids Plc remained the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 462.1 million units valued at N505.0 million, UBN Property Plc stood in second place with 365.8 units valued at N309.5 million, while IGI Plc was in third place with 71.1 million units valued at N5.1 million.
In terms of the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis, VFD Group Plc was on top of the chart for exchanging 7.3 million units worth N1.7 billion, followed by Geo-Fluids Plc with 462.1 million units valued at N505.0 million, and UBN Property Plc with 365.8 million units valued at N309.5 million.
