Popoola Urges Investors to Diversify Portfolios to Reduce Risks as Stock

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Investors in the stock market have been advised to embrace the strategy of diversification of portfolios in order to get a better return on investment (RoI).

The chief executive of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, Mr Temi Popoola, while reacting to the current uptrend rally in the equity market, stressed that diversification of portfolios would go a long way to reduce risks, explaining the need for investors to re-balance their stock basket.

So far this year, the local bourse has been buoyant with the NGX-All Share Index (NGX-ASI) Year-to-Date (YTD) returned at 26.62 per cent as of Friday, May 27, 2022, and is currently over the psychological 54,000-level for the first time since the 2008 crash, as opposed to the broad-based bearish performance experienced in other markets.

Mr Popoola stated that in spite of the current appreciation in prices of equities in the country, opportunities still exist for investors in other asset classes.

He said as a multi-asset Exchange, NGX has various products for every investor regardless of what their investment goals, risk appetite or return expectations might be, listing the products like equities, fixed income, Exchange Traded Funds and Derivatives.

According to him, there are opportunities in every segment of the market, emphasising that it is important for investors to do the analysis, and understand where those opportunities are, as there are opportunities, not only on the equity side but across the various assets classes.

He, however, said that the Nigerian capital market and the business of the stock exchange would always be impacted by dynamic economic trends and investor demands.

Explaining further, he said achieving success through growth that creates value will increase the Exchange’s ability to operate efficiently and profitably in the transient advantage economy that has unfolded in Nigeria and around the world.

“While there has been no respite in the macroeconomy and operating environment due to lingering oil price and foreign exchange pressures, our long-term outlook for the Exchange remains positive as listed companies continue to show resilience and our members have been repositioned to deliver superior value to investors,” he said.

Mr Popoola noted that NGX would continue to find more products that a lot of Nigerians and the youth demography are attracted to, and introduce to the market.