Economy
Oil Market Soars 2% as US Targets Chinese Importers of Iranian Oil
By Adedapo Adesanya
The oil market was up by nearly 2 per cent on Wednesday due to concerns about global supplies after the United States issued new sanctions targeting Chinese importers of Iranian oil.
Brent crude futures grew by $1.18 or 1.8 per cent to $65.85 a barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures expanded by $1.14 or 1.9 per cent to $62.47 per barrel.
The US on Wednesday issued new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil exports, including against a China-based small independent refineries known as teapots as President Donald Trump seeks to ramp up pressure on Iran and drive Iranian oil exports down to zero.
It imposed sanctions on a China-based independent teapot refinery it accused of playing a role in purchasing more than $1 billion worth of Iranian crude oil.
It was the second small independent Chinese refinery hit with sanctions by the Trump administration so far.
The US has not in the past focused on Chinese teapot refiners in part because they have little exposure to the US financial system.
The country also issued additional sanctions on several companies and vessels it said were responsible for facilitating Iranian oil shipments to China as part of Iran’s shadow fleet, adding that it is committed to disrupting all actors providing support to Iran’s oil supply chain, which it claims the regime uses to support its terrorist proxies and partners.
Normally, China does not recognize US sanctions and is the largest importer of Iranian oil. China and Iran have built a trading system that uses mostly Chinese Yuan and a network of middlemen, avoiding the dollar and exposure to US regulators.
However, Chinese state-run oil firms have stopped buying Iranian crude, on concerns of running afoul of sanctions.
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has received updated plans for Iraq, Kazakhstan and other countries to make further oil output cuts to compensate for pumping above agreed quotas.
The latest plan requires seven nations – Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan and Oman – to cut output by a further 369,000 barrels per day in monthly steps between now and June 2026, compared with an earlier plan running from March until next June, according to Reuters calculations.
Under the latest plan, monthly cuts will range from 196,000 barrels per day to 520,000 barrels per day from this month until June 2026, up from between 189,000 barrels per day and 435,000 barrels per day previously.
If successfully executed, the compensation plan would to a large extent offset a planned 411,000 barrels per day output increase being made by other members of OPEC+ in May.
US crude stockpiles rose while gasoline and distillate inventories fell last week, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said, showing that crude inventories rose by 515,000 barrels to 442.9 million barrels in the week ended April 11.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The sum of N1.681 trillion has been disbursed to the federal government, the 36 states and the 774 local government areas of the federation from the N2.849 trillion generated in April 2025 by the nation, higher than the N1.719 trillion earned in March 2025.
The money was given to the three tiers of government by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) after its meeting for this month.
A statement issued after the meeting held in Abuja disclosed that last month, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Oil and Gas Royalty, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), Value Added Tax (VAT), Excise Duty, Import Duty and CET Levies increased significantly, while Companies Income Tax (CIT) decreased considerably.
It was revealed that the N1.681 trillion shared in May 2025 comprised distributable statutory revenue of N962.882 billion, distributable VAT revenue of N598.077 billion, EMTL revenue of N38.862 billion and exchange difference of N81.407 billion.
From the N1.681 trillion, the federal government got N565.307 billion, the states received N556.741 billion, the local councils were given N406.627 billion, and the oil-producing states took N152.553 billion as 13 per cent of mineral revenue.
From the N962.882 billion distributable statutory revenue, the national government was given N431.307 billion, N218.765 billion was disbursed to the states, N168.659 billion went to the local councils, and N144. 151 billion was distributed among the oil-generating states as 13 per cent of mineral revenue.
In addition, from the N598.077 billion distributable VAT revenue, FAAC gave the central government N89.712 billion, N299.039 billion to the state government, and N209.327 billion to the local governments.
Further, from the N38.862 billion generated from EMTL, the federal government got N5.829 billion, the state governments received N19.431 billion, and the local councils went away with N13.602 billion.
Also, from the N81.407 billion exchange difference, the federal government took N38.459 billion, the state governments went with N19.507 billion, the local governments received N15.039 billion, and the oil-producing states shared N8.402 billion as 13 per cent of mineral revenue.
By Dipo Olowookere
The last trading session of this week ended a positive note with a 0.22 per cent leap on Friday, influenced by continued demand for local equities.
During the session, the All-Share Index (ASI) gained 242.73 points to close at 109,710.37 points compared with the 109,467.64 points it ended in the preceding trading day, and the market capitalisation expanded by N152 billion to finish at N68.953 trillion versus Thursday’s closing value of N68.801 trillion.
Business Post reports that the consumer goods lost its momentum yesterday, going down by 0.26 per cent at the close of transactions.
However, the commodity index gained 2.08 per cent, the insurance counter appreciated by 1.10 per cent, the energy sector improved by 0.52 per cent, the industrial goods industry jumped by 0.27 per cent, and the banking sector grew by 0.10 per cent.
A total of 36 stocks ended on the gainers’ table and 21 stocks finished on the losers’ chart, implying a positive market breadth index and strong investor sentiment.
Four shares chalked up the maximum 10.00 per cent price appreciation on Friday and they were Northern Nigeria Flour Mills, Trans-Nationwide Express, Champion Breweries, and Honeywell Flour, quoting at N119.90, N2.20, N6.82, and N18.15, respectively, as Beta Glass gained 9.99 per cent to finish at N235.05.
On the flip side, International Energy Insurance depreciated by 9.57 per cent to N1.70, Multiverse slumped by 9.55 per cent to N8.05, The Initiates tumbled by 7.86 per cent to N6.80, University Press crashed by 7.37 per cent to N4.40, and Regency Alliance lost 6.78 per cent to sell for 55 Kobo.
Investors traded 431.8 million equities worth N8.6 billion in 16,400 deals during the session compared with the 716.1 million equities valued at N13.7 billion exchanged in 14,559 deals in the previous day, showing an increase in the number of deals by 12.65 per cent and a fall in the trading volume and value by 39.70 per cent and 37.23 per cent apiece.
The busiest stock was Access Holdings with 32.1 million units valued at N739.7 million, GTCO transacted 30.9 million units for N2.1 billion, AIICO Insurance traded 28.9 million units worth N46.5 million, Universal Insurance exchanged 25.0 million units valued at N13.0 million, and Chams sold 23.8 million units worth N54.2 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange extended recent gains by 0.03 per cent on Friday, May 16, supported by five companies, whose share prices closed green.
NASD Plc added N2.09 to close at N22.99 per unit compared with Thursday’s closing price of N20.90 per unit, Geo-Fluids Plc gained 23 Kobo to settle at N2.54 per share versus the preceding day’s N2.31 per share, Nipco Plc appreciated by 8 Kobo to N199.88 per unit from N199.80 per unit, Afriland Properties Plc grew by 5 Kobo to N17.50 per share from N17.45 per share, and FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc gained 2 Kobo to finish at N41.00 per unit compared with the previous closing value of N40.98 per unit.
As as result, the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) rose by 0.99 per cent to 3,154.86 points from the previous session’s 3,153.87 points, and the market capitalisation went up by N580 million to close at N1.847 trillion from N1.846 trillion quoted at the preceding session.
Business Post reports that during the session, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) lost 29 Kobo to trade at N25.70 per share versus N23.99 per share, and First Trust Mortgage Bank Plc shrank by 2 Kobo to 61 Kobo per unit from 63 Kobo per unit.
A look at the activity chart indicated that the number of deals carried out by investors increased by 24.1 per cent to 36 deals from 29 deals, previously recorded at the previous session, the value of transactions rose by 196.9 per cent to N15.4 million from N5.2 million, while the volume of securities bought and sold decreased by 16.6 per cent to 253,960 units from the 304,374 units recorded a day earlier.
Impresit Bakolori Plc remained the most active stock by volume (year-to-date) with 536.9 million units sold for N524.7 million, Geo-Fluids Plc posted 266.4 million units valued at N470.6 million, and Okitipupa Plc recorded 153.6 million units worth N4.9 billion.
Okitipupa Plc ended the day as the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 153.6 million units worth N4.9 billion, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc traded 21.8 million units valued at N837.9 million, and Impresit Bakolori Plc exchanged 536.9 million units for N524.7 million.
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