Economy

News of Another COVID-19 Vaccine Lifts Oil Prices

Published

6 years ago

24/11/2020

By Adedapo Adesanya

The new week saw prices of crude oil opening in the upward territory on Monday, November 23 as the eventuality of another coronavirus vaccination improved demand outlook for the commodity.

Rising to their strongest level since early September, the Brent crude gained 85 cents or 1.89 per cent to trade at $45.82 per barrel, while the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures moved up by 1.01 per cent or 43 cents to trade at $42.85 per barrel.

AstraZeneca Plc became the latest company to report a vaccine that protects most people from coronavirus. It was disclosed that vaccinations will hopefully start as soon as December 11 or 12.

It was reported that the vaccine stopped an average of 70 per cent of participants from falling ill. The effectiveness rose to 90 per cent for one of two regimens, using half a dose followed by a full one later, close to the high bar set by Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc.

Astra and Oxford officials said they’re preparing to submit the findings to regulators and don’t expect the different outcomes in the study to affect the process.

Despite the apparently lower efficacy than shots from Pfizer and Moderna, which each prevented by about 95 per cent of cases, the British vaccine has some advantages. Their shot can be kept at refrigerator temperatures, while those from Pfizer and Moderna require freezing for longer-term storage and transport. That would make Astra’s easier to deploy globally, particularly in lower and middle-income countries. It also comes at a lower cost.

Crude has now jumped around 20 per cent this month as pharmaceutical companies make rapid progress on vaccines. Optimism that relief from the pandemic is in sight has seen the market look past surging infections and more lockdown measures.

Equally lifting the market were expectations that the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies known as OPEC+ might extend a deal to restrain output.

The recent spike in coronavirus cases has been touted as a likely catalyst that will prompt the OPEC+ alliance to roll over the current 7.7 million barrels per day production cuts into 2021, instead of easing them by 2 million barrels per day from January.

The market is banking on an extension of the current OPEC+ cuts of three months through the end of the first quarter of 2021, and the group is reportedly also leaning toward such an extension. This is subject to a meeting set for next week Monday and Tuesday, (November 30 – December 1).

Another development that helped the market yesterday was the claims by Houthi rebels in Yemen in a statement that they struck a Saudi Arabia’s national oil company, Aramco fuel distribution centre in Jeddah on the kingdom’s west coast with a missile.

Although Aramco’s main oil facilities are in the east, a possible disruption to oil production can trigger price movement.

Economy

11 Plc, FrieslandCampina, CSCS Lift NASD Exchange by 1.38%

Published

13 hours ago

04/07/2026

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

Three securities lifted the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 1.38 per cent on Friday, July 3, with the NASD Security Index (NSI) up by 58.80 points to 4,307.26 points from 4,248.46 points, and the market capitalisation closing higher by N35.30 billion to N2.585 trillion from N2.549 trillion.

The price gainers were led by 11 Plc, which expanded by N20.05 to close at N220.55 per share compared with the previous day’s N200.50 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc increased by N5.36 to N151.82 per unit from N146.46 per unit, and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc appreciated by N3.52 to N90.74 per share from N87.22 per share.

Yesterday, the value of transactions surged by 1,431.2 per cent to N160.1 million from the preceding session’s N10.5 million, and the volume of trades rose by 303.7 per cent to 1.8 million units from 440,653 units, while the number of deals decreased by 34.4 per cent to 21 deals from 32 deals.

Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc was the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units worth N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 70.7 million units transacted for N4.9 billion.

GNI Plc was also the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units exchanged for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units traded for N415.7 million.

Economy

Nigerian Stocks Rebound by 2.19% to Halt Losing Streak

Published

13 hours ago

04/07/2026

Dipo Olowookere

By Dipo Olowookere

The losing streak on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited was halted on Friday after the bourse closed higher by 2.19 per cent at the close of trading activities.

The gains reported by Nigerian stocks were buoyed by renewed bargain-hunting by investors, which resulted in all the key sectors of Customs Street ended in the green territory.

The banking space rose by 2.78 per cent, the insurance counter appreciated by 1.26 per cent, the energy segment expanded by 0.36 per cent, the consumer goods index chalked up 0.06 per cent, and the industrial goods sector grew by 0.05 per cent.

Consequently, the All-Share Index (ASI) went up by 4,918.37 points to 229,240.34 points from 224,321.97 points, and the market capitalisation increased by N3.156 trillion to N147.103 trillion from N143.947 trillion.

Investor sentiment was bullish after 34 stocks ended on the price gainers’ chart and 18 stocks finished on the losers’ log, representing a positive market breadth index.

The quintet of The Initiates, Universal Insurance, DAAR Communications, Omatek, and Airtel Africa surged by 10.00 per cent to sell for N25.85, 88 Kobo, N1.65, N1.76, and N5,274.00, respectively.

On the flip side, International Energy Insurance lost 9.96 per cent to trade at N4.70, Meyer shed 9.95 per cent to close at N18.55, Veritas Kapital dropped 5.07 per cent to finish at N1.31, Fidelity Bank slipped by 2.17 per cent to N18.00, and Jaiz Bank crashed by 1.84 per cent to N28.12.

During the session, a total of 414.7 million equities worth N25.1 billion exchanged hands in 47,106 deals compared with the 855.4 million equities valued at N28.4 billion transacted in the preceding day in 51,609 deals, implying a contraction in the trading volume, value, and number of deals by 51.52 per cent, 11.62 per cent, and 8.73 per cent, respectively.

Economy

Naira Trades Flat at Official Market as CBN Makes Minimal FX Intervention

Published

14 hours ago

04/07/2026

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Naira closed flat against the United States Dollar at N1,370.19/$1 in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Friday, July 3.

However, it appreciated against the Pound Sterling in the same market segment by N2.29 to settle at N1,829.88/£1 compared with the previous day’s N1,832.17/£1, and marginally depreciated against the Euro by 4 Kobo to close at N1,568.32/€1 versus Thursday’s closing price of N1,568.28/€1.

At the parallel market, the Naira also traded flat against the US Dollar at N1,390/$1, and at the GTBank forex desk, it also maintained stability at N1,832/$1.

Market conditions improved shortly after the following minimal intervention by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through modest Dollar sales, which boosted liquidity and supported stronger trading activity.

Easing pressure came after half-year profit-taking tapered down, while continued stronger policy signals from the central bank add to near-term support.

Deals executed at the official market on Friday came in at $70.430 million across 82 interbank deals, from $85.517 million the previous day.

Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market continued its recovery after June non-farm payrolls printed at 57,000, less than half the 113,000 consensus, sending the implied probability of a September Federal Reserve rate hike from 64 per cent to 54 per cent and dragging AI stocks sharply lower.

Weak labour data reduces inflationary pressure and, by extension, the Federal Reserve’s justification for holding rates elevated. That transmission mechanism is direct: lower rate-hike odds compress the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets like crypto.

Bitcoin regained the $62,000 mark after it rose by 1.3 per cent to $62,475.29.

Cardano (ADA) gained 6.6 per cent to trade at $0.1759, Ripple (XRP) appreciated by 3.5 per cent to $1.14, Ethereum (ETH) expanded by 2.4 per cent to $1,756.82, Dogecoin (DOGE) improved by 2.1 per cent to $0.0768, Solana (SOL) chalked up 1.8 per cent to $82.65, TRON (TRX) increased by 1.5 per cent to $0.3235, and Binance Coin (BNB) soared by 1.4 per cent to $569.12, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) traded flat at $1.00 apiece.