Economy
Naira Closes Flat at N1,393/$1 at Official Market
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira halted two consecutive weeks of depreciation in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Monday, March 9, by remaining unchanged at N1,393.26/$1.
However, against the Pound Sterling, it further depreciated by N3.07 yesterday to trade at N1,863.06/£1 compared with last Friday’s value of N1,859.99/£1, and lost 65 Kobo against the Euro to close at N1,612.14/€1 versus the preceding session’s rate of N1,611.49/€1.
In the black market, the Nigerian Naira crashed against the Dollar yesterday by N10 to quote at N1,415/$1 compared with the N1,405/$1 it was exchanged in the previous trading session, and at the GTBank FX desk, it weakened by N9 to sell for N1,419/$1 versus the previous value of N1,410/$1.
The Naira’s performance comes as rising demand for foreign payments is outpacing supply, heightening worries that the domestic currency is entering the threshold it hasn’t traded in over two months.
Despite this, there appears to be a rise in foreign exchange inflows into the country’s currency market, with data from Coronation Merchant Bank showing that in the past week, FX inflows into the market have strengthened. As of the end of last week, total FX inflows into the Nigerian market settled at $1.26 billion, representing an increase of 17.76 per cent compared with $1.07 billion recorded in the previous week.
In the cryptocurrency market, tensions that have spurred higher energy prices and reignited inflation fears, which could potentially delay Federal Reserve rate cuts, eased after US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran could be over soon. This led to crypto and equity markets adding to gains following the comments.
Solana (SOL) appreciated by 5.6 per cent to $86.05, Ethereum (ETH) expanded by 5.5 per cent to $2,024.18, Bitcoin (BTC) added 4.6 per cent to sell for $68,802.86, Binance Coin (BNB) gained 4.1 per cent to trade at $639.78, and Cardano (ADA) jumped 3.3 per cent to $0.2582.
Further, Dogecoin (DOGE) grew by 2.9 per cent to $0.0914, Litecoin (LTC) went up by 2.8 per cent to $54.10, and Ripple (XRP) improved by 2.4 per cent to $1.37, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) traded flat at $1.00 each.
Economy
Is Headway Broker Safe and Legit? A Detailed Look at Regulation and Trust
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Headway Regulatory Foundation and Safety
Safety is the cornerstone of any trading relationship. Headway broker operates under the regulation and licensing of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). This regulatory oversight ensures that the broker adheres to strictly defined standards for transparency and operational conduct, providing traders with an added layer of security and confidence when managing their portfolios.
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Efficiency in trading Forex and other markets is driven by the tools at your disposal. Headway provides a robust technological trading ecosystem:
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Trading Account Types Offered by Headway
Headway broker understands that every trader enters the market with a different level of experience:
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Customer Support and Incentives
Headway supports its user base with comprehensive resources and financial incentives:
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Conclusion
With its combination of FSCA regulation, a vast range of instruments, and modern platforms like MT4, MT5, and its own proprietary app, Headway FX broker provides a comprehensive environment for modern traders. Whether you are using the demo account to hone your skills or taking advantage of the 150 no deposit welcome bonus, this broker offers the stability and tools needed for your trading journey.
Economy
Buying Interest Lifts NASD OTC Exchange by 0.40%
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.40 per cent on Monday, July 13, buoyed by buying interest in 11 Plc, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc and UBN Property Plc, which offset the profit-taking in Food Concepts Plc, the parent company of Chicken Republic.
11 Plc gained N20.69 to end at N227.64 per share compared with last Friday’s price of N206.95 per share, CSCS Plc grew by N1.83 to N91.48 per unit from N89.65 per unit, and UBN Property Plc added 1 Kobo to sell at N1.81 per share versus N1.80 per share.
On the flip side, Food Concepts Plc depreciated by 24 Kobo to close at N2.45 per unit, in contrast to the preceding session’s N2.69 per unit.
As a result, the market capitalisation increased by N9.2 billion to N2.587 trillion from N2.578 trillion, and the NASD Security Index (NSI) improved by 15.33 points to 4,311.67 points from 4,296.34 points.
Yesterday, the volume of securities traded by investors surged by 615.9 per cent to 9.1 million units from the previous 1.3 million units, and the value of securities rose by 997.1 per cent to N320.4 million from the preceding session’s N29.2 million, while the number of deals decreased by 12.5 per cent to 28 deals from last Friday’s 32 deals.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units worth N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 73.9 million units exchanged for N5.2 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units traded for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.
Economy
Naira Maintains Stability Against US Dollar at Official Market
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira maintained stability against the US Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Monday, July 13, at N1,379.65/$1.
However, it appreciated against the Pound Sterling in the official market by N2.44 to exchange at N1,848.18/£1 compared with the previous rate of N1,850.62/£1, and lost 73 Kobo against the Euro to sell at N1,576.39/€1 versus last Friday’s N1,575.66/€1.
At the GTBank fore counter, the Naira declined by N2 to settle at N1,388/$1, in contrast to the previous session’s rate of N1,386/$1, and at the black market, it traded flat at N1,400/$1.
Market analysts expect the Naira to trade within a relatively stable range, supported by sustained FX inflows and a continued market intervention by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), although persistent underlying FX demand is likely to keep depreciation pressures elevated.
According to Monday’s trading data, interbank FX turnover surged by 21.14 per cent to $86.136 million from $71.044 million at the previous trading session on Friday.
However, interbank deal counts declined to 85 from 87 on Monday, reflecting the absence of pressure from US Dollar payments against local units. Last week, total foreign exchange inflows amounted to $0.97 billion, according to a Coronation Merchant Bank research report.
Analysts reported that foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) remained the largest source of inflows, contributing 30.29% or $0.29 billion, closely followed by Exporters and Importers at 30.14 per cent.
Non-bank corporates accounted for 26.49 per cent or $0.26 billion, while the CBN contributed 6.93 per cent or $0.07 billion. Other sources made up the remaining 5.4 per cent of total inflows.
In the cryptocurrency market, major coins came under pressure following heightened expectations for a Federal Reserve interest-rate increase as soon as July, just ahead of key US inflation data and congressional testimony from Chairman Kevin Warsh came into focus.
Bitcoin (BTC) fell by 0.2 per cent to $62,627.03, Solana (SOL) dipped by 1.5 per cent to $75.18, TRON (TRX) depreciated by 0.2 per cent to $0.3248, Ripple (XRP) slumped by 0.6 per cent to $1.06, and Cardano (ADA) lost 0.6 per cent to close at $0.1589.
On the flip side, Ethereum (ETH) appreciated by 0.5 per cent to $1,784.26, Dogecoin (DOGE) grew by 0.2 per cent to $0.073, and Binance Coin (BNB) jumped by 0.2 per cent to $569.23, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) traded flat at $1.00 apiece.


