Economy
NSE Index Rises by 7.01% in Q3 2017
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A recent report released by FSDH Research revealed that the Nigerian equity market as measured by the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index (NSE ASI) appreciated by 7.01 percent in the third quarter of 2017.
This, it stated, was the strongest Q3 performance in the last four years.
The report said the stable macroeconomic environment was the major driver of the positive performance in the equity market and it expects this trend to continue in the last quarter of the year.
FSDH Research’s analysis of the historical trend of the equity market between 2012 and 2016 shows that the equity market rallied in December of each year.
FSDH Research’s historical analysis shows that there is a strong correlation between the movement in crude oil price and the Nigerian equity market.
The consensus on the short-term outlook for crude oil (Bonny Light) price is that it will remain above $50 per barrel.
The sustained high crude oil price coupled with improved oil production has led to a sustained accretion to the external reserves, which stood at $32.74 billion as at October 3, 2017.
The firm said it expects a continued boost to the external reserves in the short-to-medium term as oil price and production continue to strengthen because it is positive for the equity market.
Additionally, the introduction of the Investors’ and Exporters’ Foreign Exchange (FX) Window (I&E Window) has increased the supply of foreign exchange into the Nigerian economy and led to relative stability in the FX market. The I&E Window has also attracted more foreign investments into Nigeria. FSDH Research’s analysis of the capital importation data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) between January and July 2017 shows that there was a growth in capital importation in 2017, compared with 2016.
The total capital importation between January and July 2017 stood at $3.76 billion, representing a growth of 85.32 percent over $2.03 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2016.
Other Investments (OI) – Loans attracted the highest capital of $1.69 billion between January and July 2017, closely followed by Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) – Equity of $1.15 billion, and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) – Equity of $513.23 million.
FSDH Research said it expects continued foreign inflow into the equity market as the FX market remains stable.
It pointed out that this improved liquidity will boost the expected rally in the equity market. The drop in the yields on the fixed income securities should lead to portfolio realignments in favour of the equity market to take advantage of higher returns.
At the last auction on October 4, 2017, the yield on the 364-Day NTB stood at 18.65 percent, lower than the average yield of 22.71 percent recorded between January and September 2017.
Similarly, the yield on the 16.39 percent FGN January 2022 Bond stood at 15.83 percent as at the close of trading on October 4, 2017, lower than the average yield of 16.08 percent recorded between January and September 2017.
FSDH Research notes increased economic activities in most of the sectors of the Nigerian economy in September 2017.
A review of the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) report that the CBN published for the month of September 2017 shows that economic activities in the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors continue to strengthen.
The Composite Manufacturing Index (CMI) expanded for the sixth consecutive month in 2017 to stand at 55.3 points in September 2017, from 53.6 points in August 2017.
The Composite Non-Manufacturing Index (CNMI) also expanded for the fifth consecutive month to 54.9 points in September 2017 from 54.1 points in August 2017.
The report is an indication that the Q3 2017 earnings of quoted companies will be an improvement over previous quarters.
According to FSDH Research, its forecasts for the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Q3 and Q4 2017 show that the GDP should grow in excess of 2 percent.
The firm says it expects the equity market to respond positively to the strong Q3 2017 GDP figures that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) will release on 22 November 2017.
Economy
NRS Launches Unified Tax ID System
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has unveiled a unified Taxpayer Identification (Tax ID) system for all taxable persons across the country as part of efforts to strengthen tax administration and improve transparency.
The agency announced the development in a public notice issued jointly with the Joint Revenue Board (JRB) on Monday.
According to the notice, the initiative is backed by Sections 6, 7, and 8 of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, which mandate every taxable person in Nigeria to obtain a Tax ID, in a wider move to expand the country’s tax base.
The NRS said the new framework is designed to create a centralised and harmonised taxpayer database that would enhance interactions between taxpayers and revenue authorities at both federal and sub-national levels.
“The Tax ID will serve as a single, unified identity for all taxpayers, enabling seamless interaction with tax authorities at both federal and sub-national levels. It is designed to consolidate taxpayer records, eliminate duplication, and ensure more efficient management of tax-related information,” the agency stated.
The revenue agency explained that the new system would simplify tax compliance procedures, including taxpayer registration, filing of returns, and payment processes.
According to the NRS, the framework is also expected to improve accountability and reduce leakages in tax collection by creating better visibility and tracking of taxpayer information nationwide.
“The initiative will simplify tax compliance processes, including registration, tax filing, and payment procedures. The system will improve transparency by enabling better visibility and tracking of taxpayer records while reducing leakages and improving accountability in tax collection. The framework will also harmonise taxpayer information across all levels of government,” the notice added.
The agency further disclosed that the new Tax ID system would replace the existing Tax Identification Number (TIN) Validation API currently used by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), financial institutions, and other organisations for taxpayer verification.
Economy
OTC Securities Exchange Falls 1.31% as Key Stocks Decline
By Adedapo Adesanya
Three bellwether stocks weakened the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 1.31 per cent on Monday, May 18.
This brought the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) by 54.71 points to 4,133.70 points from 4,188.41 points, and shrank the market capitalisation by N32.73 billion to N2.473 trillion from N2.506 trillion.
Yesterday, FrieslandCampina Wamco Plc contracted by N12.45 to sell at N146.55 per share compared with last Friday’s closing price of N159.00 per share, Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS) Plc declined by N2.34 to N70.00 per unit from N72.34 per unit, and NASD Plc lost 50 Kobo to trade at N34.50 per share versus N35.00 per share.
The trio overpowered the N5.56 gained Newrest Asl Plc. This stock ended the trading session at N61.15 per unit, in contrast to the previous session’s N55.59 per unit.
During the trading day, the volume of securities traded by investors slid by 56.1 per cent to 514,142 units from 1.2 million units, and the value of securities dropped 29.8 per cent to close at N17.4 million versus N29.8 million, while the number of deals jumped 12.5 per cent to 27 deals from 24 deals.
Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by CSCS Plc with 60.8 million units exchanged for N4.1 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.9 million units traded for N1.9 billion.
GNI Plc also ended the day as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, trailed by Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units valued at N415.7 million, and Infrastructure Guarantee Credit Plc with 400 million units transacted for N1.2 billion.
Economy
FX Pressure Pushes Naira Lower to N1,373/$1 at Official Market
By Adedapo Adesanya
It was a horrible day for the Nigerian Naira in the different segments of the foreign exchange (FX) market on Monday, May 15, as its value further weakened against the United States Dollar.
In the black market window, the Naira lost N5 against the Dollar yesterday to sell for N1,390/$1 compared with the previous value of N1,385/$1, but at the GTBank forex counter, it remained unchanged at N1,383/$1.
In the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX), the Nigerian currency depreciated against the greenback by N2.66 or 0.19 per cent to sell for N1,373.70/$1 compared to last Friday’s rate of N1,371.04/$1.
Equally, it fell against the Pound Sterling in the same market segment by N9.05 to trade at N1,839.66/£1 versus N1,830.61/£1, and lost N5.42 on the Euro to close at N1,600.49/€1 versus N1,595.07/€1.
The performance of the local currency during the session indicates early worries despite all signals pointing to stability, amid improved Dollar sales by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), with steady, higher oil receipts to bolster the nation’s reserves.
Activity at the market showed that turnover rose 57.3 per cent to $76.29 million on Monday from $48.49 million posted on Friday.
Over the weekend, S&P raised Nigeria’s credit ratings for the first time since 2012 and highlighted improved FX market liquidity and $10 billion turnover recorded in April 2026 as one of the major gains of the CBN-led FX reforms.
The agency said the liberalisation of the exchange rate has bolstered access to foreign currency and enabled a market-driven exchange-rate environment while supporting investor and consumer confidence.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market was bullish on Monday as investors monitored developments in the Iran conflict and weighed the impact of surging oil prices on inflation and US interest-rate expectations.
Ethereum (ETH) gained 0.7 per cent to trade at $2,134.10, Cardano (ADA) rose by 0.6 per cent to $0.2515, Solana (SOL) expanded by 0.3 per cent to $85.11, Binance Coin (BNB) jumped 0.2 per cent to $643.29, TRON (TRX) increased by 0.03 per cent to $0.3565, and Bitcoin (BTC) advanced by 0.02 per cent to $76,912.12.
On the flip side, Dogecoin (DOGE) slid by 1.5 per cent to $0.1044, and Ripple (XRP) decreased by 0.5 per cent to $1.38, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) traded flat at $1.00 apiece.
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