Economy
Political Uncertainty May Weigh on US Stocks

By Investors Hub
The major U.S. index futures are pointing to a modestly lower opening on Wednesday following the lacklustre performance seen over the two previous sessions.
Political uncertainty may weigh on the markets on the heels of President Donald Trump’s abrupt dismissal of FBI Director James Comey.
In a letter to Comey, Trump said it is essential to find new leadership that restores public trust and confidence in the FBI’s vital law enforcement mission.
A statement from the White House said Trump acted based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
The move has generate some criticism, however, as it comes as Comey was leading an investigation of potential ties between Russia and Trump’s presidential campaign.
Nonetheless, traders may stick to the sidelines ahead of the release of key reports on retail sales and producer and consumer prices in the coming days.
After seeing modest strength early in the session, stocks turned mixed over the course of the trading day on Tuesday. While the Dow and the S&P 500 pulled back into negative territory, the tech-heavy Nasdaq reached a new record closing high.
The Nasdaq rose 17.93 points or 0.3 percent to 6,120.59, but the Dow dipped 36.50 points or 0.2 percent to 20,975.78 and the S&P 500 edged down 2.46 points or 0.1 percent to 2,396.92.
The mixed close on Wall Street came as traders seemed reluctant to make significant moves ahead of the release of key reports on retail sales and producer and consumer prices later this week.
Early in the session, some buying interest was generated in reaction to upbeat earnings news, with Marriott (MAR) and Office Depot (ODP) moving notably higher after reporting better than expected quarterly earnings.
Traders also kept an eye on comments from Federal Reserve officials, with Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren suggesting the central bank could be forced to raise interest rates at a faster pace if unemployment drops below 4 percent.
“Such an overheated economy would likely be accompanied by higher inflation, which in turn would likely elicit higher interest rates,” Rosengren said.
On the U.S. economic front, the Commerce Department released a report showing an unexpected increase in wholesale inventories in the month of March.
The report said wholesale inventories rose by 0.2 percent in March after climbing by 0.3 percent in February. Inventories had been expected to edge down by 0.1 percent.
Most of the major sectors ended the day showing only modest moves, contributing to the lackluster close by the broader markets.
Energy stocks saw considerable weakness, however, with a drop by the price of crude oil weighing on the sector. Reflecting the weakness in the energy sector, the NYSE Arca Natural Gas Index and the Philadelphia Oil Service Index dropped by 1.3 percent and 1 percent, respectively.
On the other hand, biotechnology stocks showed a strong move to the upside, driving the NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index up by 1.3 percent.
Within the biotech sector, Endo International (ENDP) posted a standout gain after reporting better than expected first quarter earnings.
Semiconductor and networking stocks also saw some strength on the day, contributing to the higher close by the tech-heavy Nasdaq.
Economy
NGX Group’s 65th Annual General Meeting Holds April 29
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The 65th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc has been fixed for Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 11:00 am at its corporate head office on 2–4 Customs Street, Lagos.
Business Post gathered that the meeting would be streamed live on the company’s website and social media platforms to enable broader participation by shareholders and stakeholders unable to attend physically.
As part of a special business, shareholders will consider a proposed bonus issue of one new ordinary share for every three existing shares held as at the close of business on April 10, 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
The proposal also includes an increase in the organisation’s share capital from N1,102,309,954 to N1,469,746,605, to accommodate the bonus shares and amendments to the Memorandum of Association to reflect the new capital structure.
Also at the gathering, shareholders will consider and, if deemed fit, approve the company’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, alongside the reports of the directors, auditors, board evaluation consultants, and audit committee.
The meeting will also deliberate on the declaration of a final dividend and the re-election of three non-executive directors retiring by rotation, who are Mr Umaru Kwairanga, Mrs Ojinika Olaghere, and Dr Okechukwu Itanyi.
Other ordinary business items on the agenda include authorising the board to fix the remuneration of the external auditors, determining the remuneration of managers, and electing members of the statutory audit committee.
Economy
BNB Price Reflects Changing Dynamics in the Digital Asset Market
Economy
NASD Unlisted Security Index Crosses 4,000-point Benchmark Again
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange achieved a milestone on Friday, April 24, 2026, after five securities on the platform helped with a 1.85 per cent growth.
Data showed that the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) again crossed the 4,000-point benchmark yesterday.
The index chalked up 73.64 points during the trading day to close at 4,052.59 points compared with the preceding session’s 3,978.95 points, while the market capitalisation added N5.38 billion to finish at N2.424 trillion versus Thursday’s closing value of N2.380 trillion.
The price gainers were led by Okitipupa Plc, which grew by N25.00 to sell at N305.00 per share compared with the previous price of N280.00 per share. Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc gained N6.92 to close at N76.26 per unit versus N69.34 per unit, Afriland Properties Plc appreciated by N1.00 to N17.00 per share from N18.00 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc improved by 55 Kobo to N99.55 per unit from N99.00 per unit, and Food Concepts Plc increased by 5 Kobo to N2.70 per share from N2.65 per share.
However, there was a price loser, MRS Oil, which dipped by N21.75 to N195.75 per unit from N217.50 per unit.
During the final session of the week, the value of securities jumped 75.2 per cent to N41.3 million from N23.6 million units, and the number of deals expanded by 62.9 per cent to 44 deals from 27 deals, while the volume of securities declined marginally by 0.9 per cent to 447,403 units from 451,522 units.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc was the most traded stock by volume (year-to-date) 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 traded for N1.2 billion.
GNI was also the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by CSCS Plc with 59.6 million units transacted for N4.0 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.8 million units exchanged for N1.9 billion.
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