Connect with us

Economy

Investors Must Diversify Portfolios for Better Earnings—Chiemeka

Published

on

investors' window

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The Divisional Head of Trading Business at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, Mr Jude Chiemeka, has advised investors to always diversify their portfolios for better earnings.

Speaking at the Retail Investors workshop organised by the NGX and ARM Securities Limited, he said diversification of portfolios will always guarantee an enhanced return on investment.

According to him, portfolio diversification is the process of investing one’s money in different asset classes and securities in order to minimize the overall risk of the portfolio.

He said as a multi-asset exchange, the NGX had various products for every investor regardless of what their investment goals, risk appetite or return expectations might be, listing the products as equities, fixed income, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and derivatives.

Educating investors, Mr Chiemeka said, “Just imagine what would happen if you invested all your money in a single security.

“Everything would be great as long as the stock’s performance is good. But in a case where the market takes a sudden U-turn, the likelihood of significant loss of investments is increased.

“The fundamental purpose of portfolio diversification is to minimize the risk on your investments; specifically, unsystematic risk.

“This is risk of significant loss is further compounded if the stocks belonged to the same sector like manufacturing because any news publication or information that affects the performance of one manufacturing stock could as well affect the other stocks in a similar way.”

Mr Chiemeka further explained that, “If an investor chooses the same asset, he/she can diversify by investing in different sectors and industries. There are so many different industries and sectors to explore with exciting opportunities like pharmaceuticals, Information Technology (IT), consumer goods, conglomerates, financial, agricultural and so on.

“Furthermore, NGX is a multi-asset exchange that provides a wide range of asset classes for investors to leverage. Investors could also add other investment options and assets to their portfolios.

“Mutual funds, bonds, Equity Traded Funds, as well as other asset classes such as real estate and pension plans, are other investments they can consider. Investors are encouraged to ensure that the securities vary in risk and follow different market trends.

“A typical example is the general trend where the bond and equity markets have contrasting movements. By investing in both these instruments, investors can offset any negative results in one market by positive movements in the other.”

Explaining further, Mr Chiemeka said, “A sound diversification strategy, adding index or bond funds to the mix provides one’s portfolio with the much-needed stability.

“Also, investing in Index funds is highly cost-effective as the charges are quite low compared to actively managed funds. At the same time, investing in bond funds hedges your portfolio from market volatility and uncertainty and prevents gains from being wiped out during market volatility.”

Mr Chiemeka said, “At the NGX, we will continue to prioritise investor education to ensure that investors understand capital market investments and mechanisms, as only then will they be empowered to make sound investment decisions.”

Economy

NBA Demands Suspension of Controversial Tax Laws

Published

on

four tax reform bills

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The federal government has been asked by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to suspend the implementation of the controversial tax laws.

In a reaction to the tax reform acts, the president of the group, Mr Afam Osigwe (SAN), the suspension of the laws would allow for a proper investigation into allegations of alterations in the gazetted and harmonised copies.

A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Abdussamad Dasuki, alleged that some parts of the laws passed by the parliament were different from the gazetted copy.

To address the issues raised, the NBA said it is “imperative that a comprehensive, open, and transparent investigation be conducted to clarify the circumstances surrounding the enactment of the laws and to restore public confidence in the legislative process.”

“Until these issues are fully examined and resolved, all plans for the implementation of the Tax Reform Acts should be immediately suspended,” the association declared.

It noted that the controversies “raise grave concerns about the integrity, transparency, and credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process.”

“These developments strike at the very heart of constitutional governance and call into question the procedural sanctity that must attend lawmaking in a democratic society,” it noted.

“Legal and policy uncertainty of this magnitude has far-reaching consequences. It unsettles the business environment, erodes investor confidence, and creates unpredictability for individuals, businesses, and institutions required to comply with the law. Such uncertainty is inimical to economic stability and should have no place in a system governed by the rule of law.

“Nigeria’s constitutional democracy demands that laws, especially those with profound economic and social implications, emerge from processes that are transparent, accountable, and beyond reproach. Anything short of this undermines public trust and weakens the foundation upon which lawful governance rests.

“We therefore call on all relevant authorities to act swiftly and responsibly in addressing this controversy, in the overriding interest of constitutional order, economic stability, and the preservation of the rule of law,” the organisation stated.

Continue Reading

Economy

MRS Oil, Two Others Raise NASD Bourse Higher by 0.52%

Published

on

MRS Oil voluntary delisting

By Adedapo Adesanya

Demand for hot stocks, including MRS Oil Plc, buoyed the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 0.52 per cent on Tuesday, December 23.

The energy company was one of the three price gainers for the session as it chalked up N19.69 to sell at N216.59 per share versus the previous day’s value of N196.90 per share.

Further, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc gained N2.95 to close at N56.75 per unit versus N53.80 per unit and Golden Capital Plc appreciated by 84 Kobo to N9.29 per share from Monday’s N8.45 per share.

Consequently, the market capitalisation went up by N10.95 billion to N2.125 trillion from N2.125 trillion and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) rose by 18.31 points to 3,570.37 points from 3,552.06 points.

Yesterday, the NASD bourse recorded a price loser, the Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), which gave up 17 Kobo to close at N33.70 per unit against the previous trading value of N33.87 per unit.

The volume of securities traded at the session went down by 97.6 per cent to 297,902 units from the previous day’s 12.6 million units, the value of securities decreased by 98.5 per cent to N10.5 million from N713.6 million, and the number of deals remained flat at 32 deals.

By value, Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company (InfraCredit) Plc ended as the most actively traded stock on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units exchanged for N16.4 billion. This was followed by Okitipupa Plc, which traded 178.9 million units valued at N9.5 billion, and MRS Oil Plc with 36.1 million units worth N4.9 billion.

In terms of volume, also on a year-to-date basis, InfraCredit Plc led the chart with a turnover of 5.8 billion units traded for N16.4 billion. Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc ranked second with 1.2 billion units sold for N420.7 million, while Impresit Bakolori Plc followed with the sale of 536.9 million units valued at N524.9 million.

Continue Reading

Economy

NGX All-Share Index Soars to 153,354.13 points

Published

on

All-Share Index NGX

By Dipo Olowookere

It was another bullish trading session for the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited as it closed higher by 0.59 per cent on Tuesday.

The market further rallied due to continued interest in large and mid-cap stocks on the exchange by investors rebalancing their portfolios for the year-end.

Yesterday, Aluminium Extrusion sustained its upward trajectory after it further appreciated by 9.96 per cent to N14.90, as Austin Laz gained 9.81 per cent to close at N2.91, Custodian Investment improved by 9.69 per cent to N38.50, and First Holdco soared by 9.35 per cent to N50.30.

Conversely, Royal Exchange declined by 7.22 per cent to N1.80, Champion Breweries shrank by 6.57 per cent to N15.65, NASCON lost 5.36 per cent to trade at N105.05, Sovereign Trust Insurance depreciated by 5.28 per cent to N3.77, and Japaul went down by 4.51 per cent to N2.33.

At the close of business, 29 shares ended on the gainers’ table and 27 shares finished on the losers’ log, representing a positive market breadth index and bullish investor sentiment.

This raised the All-Share Index (ASI) by 895.06 points to 153,354.13 points from 152,459.07 points and lifted the market capitalisation by N579 billion to N97.772 trillion from the previous day’s N97.193 trillion.

VFD Group finished the day as the busiest stock after it recorded a turnover of 192.0 million units worth N2.1 billion, GTCO exchanged 63.5 million units valued at N5.6 billion, Access Holdings traded 49.8 million units for N1.0 billion, First Holdco sold 45.8 million units valued at N2.3 billion, and Secure Electronic Technology transacted 38.3 million units worth N28.4 million.

In all, market participants bought and sold 677.4 million units valued at N20.8 billion in 27,589 deals compared with the 451.5 million units worth N13.0 billion traded in 33,327 deals on Monday, showing an improvement in the trading volume and value by 50.03 per cent and 60.00 per cent apiece, and a shortfall in the number of deals by 17.22 per cent.

Continue Reading

Trending