Economy
GCR Affirms Forte Oil Issuer, Bond Ratings At A-(NG)
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The national scale issuer ratings assigned to Forte Oil Plc of A-(NG) and A1-(NG) in the long term and short term respectively have been affirmed by Global Credit Ratings (GCR) with the outlook accorded as Stable.
Concurrently, the Series 1 Fixed Bond rating has been affirmed at A-(NG) and placed on Stable Outlook. The ratings expire in June 2018.
A statement issued by GCR explained that the ratings were accorded to Forte Oil Plc after taking cognisance of the firm’s top-tier position in the Nigerian downstream petroleum industry, underpinned by a visible brand, significant assets across the value chain, strong relationships with suppliers, experienced management team, as well as an extensive distribution and retail network.
The downstream petroleum industry is heavily reliant on imports, due to low levels of domestic refining. As a result, challenges were heightened by hard currency shortages (which resulted in product scarcity), adverse exchange rate movements and delayed subsidy payments in 2016.
In addition, the harsh economic environment and reduced consumer spending power led to a temporary decline in demand for petrol (following a 67% increase in the pump price in May 2016).
In a bid to reduce exposure to foreign exchange fluctuations, Forte Oil significantly scaled back its refined petroleum product import volumes. As such, FY16 and 1Q FY17 revenue and earnings were significantly below initial forecasts.
Forte Oil’s revenue increased by 19% to N148.6bn in FY16, underpinned by a general price increase across business segments and higher traded lubricant sales volumes. However, the partial cost pass through saw the gross margin decline to 13.9% in FY16, before rebounding to 17.6% in 1Q FY17. Effective cost management and focus on high margin, non-regulated products, saw operating margin increased from 5% in FY15 to 6.3% in FY16 edging up to 9.5% in the 3-month period to March 2017.
The net finance charge spiked to N4.2bn in FY16 (FY15: N1.6bn), due to the impact of Naira devaluation on import finance facilities and higher lending rates. Accordingly, net interest cover reduced to 2.2x in FY16 (FY15: 3.6x), and further to 2x in 1Q FY17.
The N9bn Series 1 Bond Issue and funding raised for the Geregu Power plant overhaul pushed debt up to N49.4bn at FY16. Coupled with a reduction in distributable reserves (following a dividend payment), this drove net gearing up to 75% at FY16 and 80% at 1Q FY17.
Positively, net debt to EBITDA improved to a respective 263% and 209% at FY16 and 1Q FY17, albeit behind target.
Forte Oil plans to raise additional capital of N20bn equity during 3Q 2017. Following the equity raise, management anticipates net gearing to reduce below 35% at FYE17 and FYE18 respectively, while net debt to EBITDA is projected to register around 100% for both years.
Despite the downstream petroleum industry challenges, prospects are enhanced by a strong baseline of demand, on the back of the country’s large urban population and heavy vehicular traffic.
In addition, the completion of Dangote Group’s 650,000bbl/d refinery (set for 2019), is expected to materially reduce the dependence on imports, with the Ministry of Petroleum projecting the cessation of fuel importation once the plant is at full capacity.
Forte Oil plans to expand its retail network and diversify its non-fuel revenue streams with strong local and international brands. In this regard, the power generation business had increased capacity utilisation to 100% by 1H FY17 (1H FY16: 35%) and should contribute materially to earnings in the medium term.
The Group also anticipates a rebound in the upstream oil and gas services business on the back of broader economic recovery in the medium term, and thus plans to expand service offerings.
Sustainable margin enhancement, on the back of the materialisation of current business plans could result in positive rating action if it translates to stronger credit protection metrics in the medium term.
Conversely, adverse regulatory/policy changes, or other external factors could adversely affect earnings and result in liquidity strain and/or increased gearing metrics, placing downward pressure on the ratings. In addition, sustained increase in debt levels and gearing metrics would lead to negative rating action
As the Series 1 Fixed Rate Bond is a senior unsecured obligation of the Issuer, the Bonds will bear the same rating as the Issuer, and any change in the rating assigned to the Issuer will directly affect the Bond rating.
By Dipo Olowookere
The first trading session of the week on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited ended in the green territory on Monday, with a 1.20 per cent rise.
This was buoyed by the gains recorded by Airtel Africa and other equities, according to analysis of data harvested from the Customs Street yesterday.
During the trading day, the consumer goods index grew by 0.76 per cent, enough to offset the losses recorded by the other sectors.
The insurance counter shrank by 1.64 per cent, the banking space lost 0.24 per cent, the energy sector contracted by 0.09 per cent, and the industrial goods segment retreated by 0.05 per cent.
When trading activities ended for the day, the All-Share Index (ASI) was up by 2,956.15 points to 248,529.75 points from 245,573.60 points, and the market capitalisation gained N1.909 trillion to finish at N160.422 trillion compared with the previous session’s N158.513 trillion.
Fortis Global Insurance expanded by 10.00 per cent to N2.86, Chams surged by 9.80 per cent to N4.48, NAHCO jumped by 9.29 per cent to N153.00, Airtel Africa soared by 8.59 per cent to N6,300.00, and Sovereign Trust Insurance rose by 6.59 per cent to N1.78.
Conversely, AVA Capital shed 10.00 per cent to N9.90, Ecobank decreased by 9.92 per cent to N64.95, Caverton crashed by 9.09 per cent to N5.00, Ikeja Hotel slipped by 8.41 per cent to N43.00, and FTN Cocoa dropped 8.37 per cent to trade at N8.10.
A total of 23 equities were on the gainers’ chart yesterday, while 37 equities ended on the losers’ table, indicating a negative market breadth index and weak investor sentiment.
As for the activity log, the trading volume remained elevated, though lower than the preceding session, as it receded by 26.67 per cent to 1.1 billion units from 1.5 billion units. The trading value, however, increased by 1.12 per cent to N27.0 billion from N26.7 billion, while the number of deals advanced by 39.00 per cent to 59,185 deals from 42,580 deals.
Consolidated Hallmark was the most active stock yesterday, with a turnover of 354.1 million units valued at N1.5 billion, Fortis Global Insurance traded 307.3 million units worth N818.3 million, Access Holdings exchanged 48.1 million units for N1.4 billion, Chams transacted 37.4 million units worth N163.3 million, and First Holdco sold 35.8 million units valued at N5.1 billion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Oil prices traded 5 per cent higher on Monday after Iran and the United States argued about demands for compensation, further stalling a possible deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures chalked up $4.17 or 4.99 per cent to sell at $87.72 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures surged $3.95 or 5.05 per cent to $82.13 per barrel.
Iran said the US must lift sanctions on it and meet other conditions for reopening the vital waterway, which carried a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas before the start of the Middle East conflict in late February.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Iran must pay compensation for “all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded.”
This comes as the Middle East country said it was nearing a final pact with Oman to define new shipping lanes through the strait but repeated that the US must meet other conditions, including compensation and an end to sanctions and military threats before the strategic waterway is reopened.
In a further threat to supply, the Iran-aligned Houthis said they had struck Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery on Sunday. Saudi Aramco has postponed the restart of the 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery to August 30 after two Houthi attacks in recent weeks.
ADNOC, a state-owned oil company in the United Arab Emirates, said on Friday that 15 of its vessels had been attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the conflict.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military continued to attack Russia’s energy infrastructure, hitting the Taneco oil refinery in Tatarstan and the ZapSibNeftekhim petrochemical plant in Russia’s Tyumen region.
On the US supply side, stocks of crude oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell by about 6.1 million barrels to 298.7 million barrels last week, the lowest level since January 1983.
Bank of America (BoFA) warned that oil prices could continue climbing into the winter if the US and Iran fail to reach an agreement reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with severe shortages already emerging in diesel, petrol, and global natural gas markets.
Mr Francisco Blanch, Bank of America’s head of commodities and derivatives research, told CNBC on Monday that only around 5 to 10 ships per day are currently passing through Hormuz, compared with roughly 140 before the war. With some crude now being rerouted through Saudi Arabia and the UAE, traffic would need to recover to around 80 to 100 ships per day just to stabilise energy markets.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions has called for stronger collaboration among financial sector regulators and other stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s financial system and support sustainable economic growth.
The committee made the call during an expanded stakeholders’ engagement in Lagos, attended by the leadership of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), among other industry stakeholders and financial experts.
Chairman of the committee, Mr Adetokunbo Abiru (Lagos East), who was represented by Mr Osita Izunaso (Imo West), said stronger legislative reforms and regulatory collaboration were necessary to reposition Nigeria’s financial architecture for long-term economic prosperity.
Mr Abiru said the financial sector remained critical to investment, job creation, business expansion and macroeconomic stability, stressing that its ability to mobilise savings, channel credit to productive sectors, facilitate investment and manage risks was fundamental to sustainable economic growth.
He said the current economic realities required closer collaboration between the legislature and financial regulators, noting that challenges confronting the sector were interconnected and could not be effectively addressed through isolated interventions.
The lawmaker identified inflationary pressures, global economic uncertainties, cybersecurity threats, low insurance penetration and the need to diversify Nigeria’s export base as some of the challenges requiring coordinated policy responses.
He said the engagement was aimed at generating practical solutions to strengthen the country’s financial architecture and support sustainable economic growth.
According to him, monetary policy, financial safety nets, banking institutions, the insurance industry and export finance were interdependent components of a stable financial system and must therefore be strengthened collectively.
The Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, said the Nigeria Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025 had contributed significantly to stabilising and repositioning the insurance sector.
Mr Omosehin disclosed that 43 insurance companies had successfully recapitalised, describing the development as a major milestone for the industry.
He commended Abiru and members of the committee for their role in advancing insurance sector reforms and urged the House of Representatives to expedite action on the relevant insurance reform bill to enable it to receive presidential assent and become operational.
Representatives of the CBN Governor and the Managing Directors of AMCON, NEXIM and NDIC also commended the Senate committee for its oversight and legislative support, saying its interventions had strengthened the agencies’ capacity to discharge their statutory mandates.
The engagement, held under the theme, Strengthening Financial System Architecture for Sustainable Economic Growth and Stability in Nigeria, also featured presentations by Professor Uche Uwaleke, President of Capital Market Academics of Nigeria (CMAN); Professor Biodun Adedipe, Chief Consultant, B. Adedipe Associates Limited; and Dr Tilewa Adebajo, Chief Executive Officer of CFG Advisory.
The experts presented policy recommendations on key issues affecting Nigeria’s financial system, with emphasis on financial stability, investment and sustainable economic growth.
Mr Abiru said the Senate would continue to engage financial regulators and other stakeholders to deepen financial inclusion, strengthen public confidence in financial institutions and improve regulatory effectiveness.
He said the broader objective was to position Nigeria’s financial system to compete more effectively in the global economy while remaining resilient and responsive to the country’s economic transformation agenda.
