Economy
Investors Snub Equity Mutual Funds Despite Stellar Performance
By Quantitative Financial Analytics
The year 2017 will go down the annals of financial history in Nigeria as the year that mutual funds visited investors with all manner of blessedness.
On average, equity-based funds returned 29.03 percent with the likes of ARM Aggressive fund retuning 58.06 percent, Legacy Equity Fund, 53.74 percent, Coral Growth Fund, 52.79 percent and ACAP Canary Growth Fund recording the lowest performance among equity funds with a whopping 16.57 percent.
In the same likeness, ETFs which are predominantly equity based, returned 38.78 percent on average, with Vetiva Banking ETF recording 50.25 percent, New Gold ETF, 47.87 percent and Vetiva Griffin 30 ETF, 45.98 percent.
All the Equity based funds and ETFs made gains of not less than 16 percent in 2017.
Surprisingly, a flow analysis carried out by Quantitative Financial Analytics’ analysts indicate that investors did not take advantage of the equity market performance. Cash flow analysis is a way of measuring investors’ attraction or appetite for mutual funds.
While every category of mutual funds recorded net inflows in 2017, only the equity fund and ethical fund categories recorded net out flow.
In 2017, the total estimated inflow to the industry stood at approximately N249 billion while outflows amounted to N63 billion leaving a net inflow of N186 billion.
As usual, money market funds attracted the greatest inflow in the amount of N221 billion but suffered outflows amounting to N40 billion, resulting in a net inflow of N181 billion.
Bond or fixed income funds attracted inflows of N18 billion while suffering outflows of N11 billion, leaving it with net inflow of N7 billion. The other categories of Real estate funds, ETFs, and Balanced funds, all ended the year with net inflows but the story is different for equity and ethical funds.
In the year under consideration, equity funds received N4 billion of inflows but suffered outflows in the sum of N8 billion, amounting to a net outflow of N4 billion.
As at March 2, 2018, the total asset of mutual funds in Nigeria was N512 billion out of which only 6.5 percent (N33 billion) is in equity funds.
Though the trend does not seem to be reversing so far in 2018, there appears to be some attraction to equity funds.
Within the first two months of 2018, the industry attracted a total of N98 billion inflows with N14 billion outflows. While N89 billion of those went to money market funds which suffered N10 billion of outflows (net-flow N79 billion), equity funds attracted N2 billion inflows and suffered N0.9 billion in outflows leaving that category of funds with positive net flow.
The reason for the lack of appetite or likeness for equity mutual funds could be because investors are still reeling from the losses made from the market crash of 2009, but for how long, one may ask.
Another reason could be the risk disposition of investors. While money market funds may not be yielding as much in bull markets, they tend to be less risky than equity funds and as such attractive to risk averse investors.
Yet another reason could be lack of data and information. In the Nigerian mutual fund industry, it is easy to get information on money market yields but not so easy to get such information on other categories of mutual funds.
This issue is even exacerbated by some blogs or articles on fund performance being thrown out there. Some of those blog/articles tend to overstate the performance of money market funds while understating that of other categories of funds because such blogs/articles ignore the effects of cash flows on performance calculations.
By lumping cashflows into the fund, they run the risk of interpreting changes in funds’ net asset value as due solely to performance. This erroneous interpretation tends to punish funds that suffer net outflows while rewarding those with net inflows.
It is important however, to note that past performance does not guarantee future performance so much such that the stellar performance of equity funds in 2017 does not indicate that they will perform as well or better in the future, so invest with caution.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The pre-registration training and examination for capital market operators (CMOs) for the second quarter of 2026 has been postponed.
Business Post gathered that the new date for the exercise is now Monday, June 15, 2026.
This information was disclosed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) through a circular on Monday, June 8, 2026.
The Nigerian capital market regulator stated that this postponement has also resulted in the extension of the deadline for registration to Friday, June 12, 2026.
In the notice today, the SEC expressed its regret for the inconvenience this action may cause operators, who had prepared for the initial date of the training and examination.
“Further to the recent circular on Q2 2026 Pre-registration Training and Examination, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hereby informs all eligible applicants for the Q2 2026 Pre-registration Training and Examination that the commencement date has been postponed to Monday, June 15, 2026.
“Registration on the designated portal has also been extended to Friday, June 12, 2026. All other conditions contained in the circular remain unchanged.
“The commission regrets any inconvenience this postponement may cause and appreciates the understanding of all applicants,” the disclosure noted.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the leading healthcare firms in Nigeria, Fidson Healthcare Plc, has listed additional shares on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The new stocks absorbed into the stock market were 600 million units, raising the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Fidson to 3,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 2,400,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
The fresh equities came from the company’s rights issue of 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N35.00 per share.
They were issued to existing investors on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing four ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Confirming the development, the regulator in a notice said, “Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of Fidson Healthcare Plc were on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
“The additional shares arose from the company’s rights issue of 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N35.00 per share on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing four ordinary shares held as at the close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
“With the listing of the additional 600,000,000 ordinary shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Fidson Healthcare Plc have now increased from 2,400,000,000 to 3,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
This news will surely excite local contractors with verified claims of N100 million or less, as the federal government has approved their payments.
This approval for the disbursement was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele.
This followed a verification and reconciliation exercise designed to ensure only validated claims qualify for payment.
The beneficiaries cover contractors across multiple ministries, departments and agencies. The release of the funds is expected to enable contractors to return to project sites, pay workers, settle suppliers and meet outstanding financial commitments.
In an announcement on Monday, the Federal Ministry of Finance also said this latest batch of payments would ease liquidity pressure on small businesses and accelerate economic activity nationwide.
It was noted that the payments for verified claims of N100 million below were strategically done to spread economic impact broadly rather than concentrate disbursements among a handful of large firms.
The payments form part of a broader push to clear inherited contractor obligations, with over N700 billion verified in recent months.
“For many beneficiaries, the release of funds represents more than a financial transaction. It provides the certainty needed to sustain operations, preserve jobs, complete ongoing projects, and contribute to economic recovery and growth,” the ministry said in a statement.
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