Economy
Nigerian Stocks Attract N52.967bn Investment in One Week
By Dipo Olowookere
Last week, investors traded 2.094 billion shares worth N52.967 billion in 64,612 deals on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited compared with the 1.183 billion shares valued at N28.868 billion in 42,397 deals a week earlier.
Nigerian stocks witnessed higher turnover in the week due to panic selling by the market participants, triggered by happenings in the global scene, especially as regards the trade war between the United States and China.
Analysis showed that the financial services sector was the busiest in the period under review, trading 1.539 billion units valued at N36.353 billion in 36,013 deals, contributing 73.49 per cent and 68.63 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
The agriculture industry recorded the sale of 98.884 million units worth N 1.344 billion in 2,772 deals, and the services counter exchanged 93.000 million units for N522.147 million in 3,012 deals.
Access Holdings, GTCO, and Zenith Bank led the activity chart with 629.327 million units worth N25.820 billion in 12,742 deals, contributing 30.06 per cent and 48.75 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
Business Post reports that 27 equities appreciated in the week versus 23 equities in the previous week, 56 equities depreciated versus 51 equities in the previous week, and 64 equities remained unchanged versus 73 equities a week earlier.
VFD Group topped the gainers’ log after chalking up 53.86 per cent to close at N87.70, Union Dicon expanded by 31.03 per cent to N7.60, Abbey Mortgage Bank jumped by 29.60 per cent to N6.13, FTN Cocoa rose by 18.75 per cent to N1.90, and TotalEnergies grew by 9.61 per cent to N745.00.
The losers’ chart was led by Royal Exchange after it lost 20.79 per cent to settle at 80 Kobo, Cornerstone Insurance declined by 15.15 per cent to N2.80, Sovereign Trust Insurance tumbled by 15.00 per cent to 85 Kobo, Lasaco Assurance shed 12.82 per cent to finish at N2.04, and CAP dwindled by 11.70 per cent to N41.50.
Data showed that the All-Share Index (ASI) and the market capitalisation depreciated by 0.90 per cent and 0.67 per cent each to 104,563.34 points and N65.707 trillion, respectively.
Similarly, all other indices finished lower apart from the growth and sovereign bond indices, which appreciated by 0.37 per cent and 3.42 per cent, respectively, while the AseM index closed flat.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Oil giant, Chevron, says it submitted the winning bid for a deepwater oil block offshore Nigeria, marking a fresh step in its efforts to strengthen its presence in the country’s offshore energy sector.
On Tuesday, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) opened commercial bids for its 2025 licensing round, with Star Deep Water Petroleum, a Chevron company and operator of the Agbami field, emerging as the top bidder for Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) 2010.
“Chevron continues to evaluate high-potential exploration opportunities across our global portfolio, with Nigeria long being an important part of our business,” said Mr Kevin McLachlan, head of exploration at Chevron.
On his part, Mr Jim Swartz, chairman of Chevron companies in Nigeria and Mid-Africa, added: “Chevron remains committed to working collaboratively with the Nigerian government and our partners to support the development of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and contribute to the country’s broader economic growth.”
The super oil major is among the 143 companies that submitted 200 bids for the oil facilities drawn from diverse terrains, including the Niger Delta Onshore, Niger Delta Shallow Water, Niger Delta Deep Offshore, Benin Basin Onshore, Anambra Basin Onshore, Chad Basin Onshore and Benue Trough.
Business Post gathered that investors, however, were only interested in 37 out of the 50 oil blocks put up for sale by the NUPRC. This is the first time in Nigeria’s energy history that frontier basins would attract such a level of investor interest.
The organisations that won the bids included SSonic Petroleum Limited (PPL 2A29), CFP Pipeline and Flowlines (2A30), Dutchford E&P Limited (2A32), Attabanson Global Company Limited (2A33 and PPL 901), Rosem Energy Limited (2A38), Pivot-GIS Limited (2A39), Network E&P (2A40), Asharami (2A41), LexOil (2A42), BVOF (2A43), GupscoEnergy Limited (2A44 and 2A51), Saratoga (2A45), Volante (2A46), Concept-Reel Petroleum Services Limited (2A47 and 2A55), Clinton Oil Field (2A48 and 2A62) and Nuway Oaklane Limited (2A49).
Others were Ramec (2A50), Italia (2A53), Blueridge E&P (2A54), Up Energies Limited (2A56), AYM Shafa (2A57), Blackrock Holdings Limited (2A58), Funtay Integrated Business Limited (2A59), Riparian Development and Production Limited (2A60), Nikstallis (2A61 and PPL 900), Stardeep Petroleum (PPL 2010), Dakoda & U Limited (PPL308 and PPL 800), Southborne Oil and Gas Limited (PPL 902), Lanaka Petroleum (PPL 903) HighbanResources Limited (PPL 700), Eyre Energy Limited (PPL 801).
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange was plunged into the danger zone by 1.40 per cent on Thursday, July 23, by five securities on the platform.
Leading the pack was Okitipupa Plc, which crashed by N20.20 to trade at N248.00 per share compared with the previous day’s N268.20 per share. MRS Oil Plc tumbled by N15.00 to close at N135.00 per unit versus the preceding session’s N150.00 per unit, Nipco Plc weakened by N7.00 to N415.00 per share from N422.00 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc lost N3.92 to settle at N143.63 per unit compared with midweek’s N147.55 per unit, and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc declined by N3.05 to quote at N95.27 per share versus N98.32 per share.
These losses contracted the value of the unlisted securities exchange by N36.77 billion to N2.594 trillion from N2.631 trillion, and decreased the NASD Security Index (NSI) by 61.26 points to 4,322.22 points from 4,383.48 points.
Business Post reports that there were two price gainers yesterday at the market, but they could not salvage the situation. NASD Plc grew by N1.36 to N37.36 per unit from N36.00 per unit, and Afriland Properties Plc gained N1.09 to end at N16.85 per share versus the previous session’s N15.76 per share.
As for the activity chart, the volume of trades crashed by 96.7 per cent to 377,635 units from 1.4 million units, the value of transactions slumped by 6.3 per cent to N40.4 million from N43.1 million, and the number of deals moderated by 20.4 per cent to 39 deals from 49 deals.
At the close of business, the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis remained Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc, 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 75.5 million units traded for N5.4 billion.
GNI Plc also ended the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units exchanged for N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units valued at N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira appreciated for the seventh straight session against the United States Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) by 0.14 per cent or N1.87 on Thursday, July 23, to trade at N1,367.76/$1, in contrast to the previous day’s N1,369.63/$1.
The Nigerian currency also improved its value against the Pound Sterling in the official market during the session by N8.67 to close at N1,824.45/£1, in contrast to the preceding day’s N1,833.12/£1, and against the Euro, it gained N6.25 to sell at N1,556.78/€1 compared with the midweek session’s N1,563.03/€1.
Similarly, the Naira gained N5 against the US Dollar in the parallel market yesterday to settle at N1,395/$1 versus Wednesday’s closing rate of N1,400/$1, and at the GTBank forex counter, it strengthened by N4 to quote at N1,379/$1 compared with the previous session’s N1,383/$1.
The positive outcome for the Naira comes amid a decline in FX turnover at the Nigerian foreign exchange market by 24 per cent to $1.163 billion from the $1.532 billion recorded a day earlier.
Meanwhile, the number of deals cut across the window by a slew of financial institutions in the country acting as market makers surged to 417 from 313 reported the previous day.
However, traders project that the local currency may weaken soon, largely due to foreign-currency buying from fuel importers.
Dangote Refinery, which distributes the majority of the country’s petrol supply, resumed the sale of petrol in Naira after it announced last week that it would start selling petroleum products to marketers in Dollars.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market was down, as $800 billion evaporated from the biggest US technology stocks, regarded as a rare stretch of independence for an asset that has tracked the AI trade all month.
Market analysts noted concerns that Big Tech is spending on artificial-intelligence infrastructure faster than profits can justify, with Dogecoin (DOGE) down by 4.4 per cent to $0.0693.
Further, Cardano (ADA) also dropped 4.4 per cent to $0.1668, Ethereum (ETH) depreciated by 2.2 per cent to $1,883.48, Solana (SOL) dipped by 2.1 per cent to $75.85, Ripple (XRP) crashed by 2.0 per cent to $1.11, Bitcoin slipped by 0.4 per cent to $65,415.27, and Binance Coin (BNB) tumbled by 0.3 per cent to $568.41.
But TRON (TRX) gained 0.3 per cent to end at $0.3287, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $1.00 apiece.
