Economy
Naira Crashes to N752/$1 at Black Market
By Dipo Olowookere
The Naira crashed to N752/$1 on Friday afternoon at the black market segment of the foreign exchange (forex) market as customers continued to hedge against the devaluation of the local currency.
The significant demand for Dollars and the scarcity of foreign currency weakened the Nigerian currency today at the exchange market.
In the previous day, the exchange rate of the domestic currency to the greenback was N747/$1, but as customers were unable to get FX from the banks, the forex hawkers raised the rate to N752/$1, indicating a decline of N5 or 0.67 per cent in less than 24 hours.
Since the political scene heated up earlier this year with presidential primaries, the Naira has been in trouble as politicians mopped up Dollars from the financial system to woo delegates for presidential slots.
The lifting of the embargo on campaigns has further worsened the situation as FX users have found it difficult to access forex from commercial banks despite the assurances given by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“The situation will continue for a long time unless urgent action is taken to boost the country’s FX earnings,” a financial analyst, Mr Sakiru Adediran, told Business Post.
“It is very difficult to get Dollars from the banks nowadays. This is why we are very careful selling the few with us. In fact, some of us are beginning to leave the forex market to trade gold, which is more profitable than currency exchange,” an FX trader in the Egbeda area of Lagos, Mr Salisu Yisa, informed this newspaper.
By Dipo Olowookere
There was an improvement in the level of activity at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited last week, with 3.566 billion stocks worth N115.403 billion exchanging hands in 99,960 deals compared with the 2.057 billion stocks valued at N51.015 billion traded a week earlier in 65,016 deals.
It was observed that the financial services sector was the most active with 2.166 billion shares sold for N62.046 billion in 45,851 deals, contributing 60.73 per cent and 53.76 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
The consumer goods industry traded 580.893 million equities valued at N10.896 billion in 10,909 deals, and the services counter exchanged 193.300 million shares worth N2.449 billion in 6,306 deals.
The trio of Zenith Bank, Champion Breweries, and Access Holdings accounted for 1.003 billion stocks valued at N26.076 billion in 14,232 deals, contributing 28.14 per cent and 22.60 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
In the five-day trading week, 55 equities appreciated like the preceding week, 42 shares depreciated versus 39 shares of the previous week, and 51 stocks closed flat, in contrast to 54 stocks of the previous week.
Ellah Lakes gained 23.09 per cent to sell for N5.33, Beta Glass appreciated by 19.43 per cent to N276.00, LivingTrust Mortgage Bank improved by 18.88 per cent to N6.80, GTCO advanced by 18.81 per cent to N84.95, and Meyer rose by 13.61 per cent to N9.60.
Conversely, Northern Nigeria Flour Mills lost 17.19 per cent to trade at N93.20, Sunu Assurances depleted by 12.81 per cent to N4.56, Oando tumbled by 11.59 per cent to N61.00, International Energy Insurance crashed by 9.55 per cent to N1.61, and Omatek deflated by 7.59 per cent to 73 Kobo.
Business Post reports that the All-Share Index (ASI) and the market capitalisation appreciated by 2.35 per cent and 2.40 per cent to close the week at 118,138.22 points and N74.534 trillion, respectively.
Similarly, all other indices finished higher except the industrial goods and sovereign bond indices, which fell by 0.36 per cent and 0.78 per cent apiece, while the AseM index closed flat.
By Dipo Olowookere
The last trading session of the week on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited ended on a positive note on Friday with a 0.24 per cent rise.
During the trading day, the market capitalisation of Customs Street was up by N175 billion to N74.534 trillion from the N74.359 trillion recorded on Thursday.
In the same vein, the All-Share Index (ASI) of the local bourse increased by 277.09 points to 118,138.22 points from 117,861.13 points due to sustained bargain-hunting by investors in the banking and commodity sectors.
Data showed that the banking index went up by 1.65 per cent and the commodity sector appreciated by 0.75 per cent.
However, the insurance industry weakened by 1.07 per cent, the industrial goods space lost 0.76 per cent, and the consumer goods and energy counters fell by 0.16 per cent each.
Legend Internet grew by 10.00 per cent to sell for N7.92, Ellah Lakes appreciated by 9.90 per cent to N5.33, Champion Breweries expanded by 9.63 per cent to N8.20, Guinea Insurance rose by 8.70 per cent to 75 Kobo, and eTranzact gained 7.52 per cent to settle at N7.15.
On the flip side, Sunu Assurances declined by 8.62 per cent to N4.56, Northern Nigeria Flour Mills lost 8.00 per cent to trade at N93.20, Thomas Wyatt moderated by 7.83 per cent to N2.00, Livestock Feeds retreated by 6.90 per cent to N8.10, and NEM Insurance contracted by 5.03 per cent to N17.00.
A total of 487.1 million units of shares worth N18.7 billion exchanged hands in 17,421 deals yesterday compared with the 894.0 million units of shares valued at N22.0 billion transacted in 17,257 deals in the previous day, indicating an improvement in the number of deals by 0.95 per cent, and a contraction in the trading volume and value by 45.52 per cent and 15.00 per cent, respectively.
The busiest stock for the session was Fidelity Bank, which traded 38.3 million units valued at N741.5 million, CWG exchanged 25.0 million units for N230.8 million, Zenith Bank transacted 24.9 million units worth N1.2 billion, Coronation Insurance sold 24.4 million units valued at N48.7 million, and Access Holdings traded 23.6 million units worth N517.9 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria led the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange to a 0.03 per cent growth on Friday, June 20.
During the session, the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) went up by 24.15 points to close at 3,320.91 points, in contrast to the previous day’s 3,319.78 points while the market capitalisation added N670 million to finish at N1.944 trillion compared with the N1.943 trillion quoted at the preceding session.
Business Post reports that the share price of FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc was up by 34 Kobo yesterday to N69.38 per unit from N69.04 per unit.
In the final trading day of the week, the volume of securities decreased by 14.9 per cent to 223,039 units from the 262,134 units traded a day earlier, but the value of securities soared by 233.2 per cent to N15.2 million from N4.6 million, and the number of deals slumped by 16 per cent to 21 deals from 25 deals.
At the close of transactions, Impresit Bakolori Plc remained the most active stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 536.9 million units sold for N524.7 million, followed by Air Liquide Plc with 507.2 million units valued at N4.2 billion, and Geo-Fluids Plc with 268.5 million units worth N475.8 million.
Okitipupa Plc was also the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis with 153.7 million units valued at N4.9 billion, trailed by Air Liquide Plc with 507.2 million units traded at N4.2 billion, and FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc with 40.5 million units sold for N1.7 billion.
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