Economy
Real Estate Delivers 15.6% RoI for Risevest Investors
By Adedapo Adesanya
Real estate portfolio delivered the best return for investors on US stocks and investment platform, Risevest, in 2022, with a 15.6 per cent return on investment (RoI).
In its Investment Wrapped: A Look At Our Investment Journey in 2022 newsletter, seen by Business Post, the company said that the year’s investment was actively affected by inflation and the measures to tackle it.
The company, despite the tough year, paid out $23.2 million to users while 109,800 plans were created while its members in its investment club grew to 15,100.
“All the monetary easing that central banks worldwide did in response to COVID led to the worst inflation numbers in over 40 years. US inflation peaked at 9.1%, and the aggressive increase in interest rates by the US Federal Reserve and other major central banks led to the global increase in the cost of capital,” it explained.
It added that although inflation in the world’s largest economy dropped as rate hikes hit 5 per cent, the increased rates and higher cost of capital led to a massive drop in the valuations of stocks and other assets, leading to some of the worst stock markets drop in recent history.
This was coupled with the energy and wheat crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as the meltdown in the crypto industry.
The company revealed that real estate markets, including Myrtle Beach South Carolina homes for sale, were strong for most of the year until the final quarter, delivering double-digit returns for the Rise portfolio.
Also, energy commodities were up in the review year, and energy stocks like ExxonMobil defied the downturn and gained 70 per cent, adding that, “all of that was overshadowed by what has been the 7th worst performance of the stock markets ever in history.”
After the real estate market, fixed income delivered a 10 per cent return for the year, providing much-needed returns to users and balancing out the losses from stocks that fell 22 per cent in the year.
Speaking on moves it made, the company, in the newsletter, revealed that it introduced Airbnb to its portfolio based on its seasonal advantage and consumer-driven demand.
“For real estate, we introduced Airbnb rentals to our portfolio. While they are much more hands-on than our traditional rentals, their returns, even after expenses, are much higher, making it well worth the experience.
“However, we will continue to invest in Airbnb rentals as a smaller component of our real estate strategy due to their seasonality and the risk of changes in consumer behaviour,” parts of the article read.
For stocks, the company noted that it exited companies without either significant growth or cash-flow generation capabilities and, moving forward, will prioritise defensive companies with strong demand profiles and solid balance sheets.
“We held onto some tech companies like Facebook (Meta) and Google, who still present a lot of value despite deep sentiment against them, and we added new positions in both short and long-term bets that will pay off when stocks rebound.”
For the fixed-income portfolio, the overall fixed-income market saw relatively stable returns, with the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index returning 4.26 per cent and our portfolio delivering 10 per cent for the year.
“Our portfolio has a good representation of (third-party provided) consumer credit and mortgage-backed fixed-income assets and an increasingly smaller position in emerging market sovereign debt. Despite a tough market position, credit and debt profiles remain relatively stable.
“Also, with higher interest rates, it’s becoming increasingly possible to move up the risk ladder into even safer fixed-income assets without sacrificing returns, which is great news,” it said.
Presenting its outlook for the year, it said that looking at a possible recession, weakened demand, and a lean global supply chain, it expects a tougher first half and advised more people to “keep their budgets lean, emergency funds funded, and their investment plans disciplined.”
Product-wise, Risevest said “multi-year asset class plans are on the way, as well as varied account types. Multi-country support and a slew of new features, including dark mode, potential localised offerings, and more personalization, should also be expected to support our users’ financial journeys and unlock more wealth-creating opportunities for all Risers.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is seeking a reduction in import duty exemptions, which rose to N34 trillion, limiting its ability to increase its revenue generation threshold.
The Comptroller-General of the Customs Service, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed that the value of import duty exemption certificate approvals increased to that level in 2025, describing the policy as one of the major factors restricting its revenue generation.
At an investigative session of the Senate Committee on Finance with revenue-generating agencies in Abuja on Monday, Mr Adeniyi explained that government fiscal policies have continued to impact the revenue-generating capacity of the Customs Service, both positively and negatively.
“The NCS would have generated significantly higher revenue over the years if not for government-approved import duty waivers and other external factors affecting collections,” he said.
He added that the Import Duty Exemption Certificate scheme, introduced in March 2020, accounted for about N34 trillion in approvals in 2025, with nearly 60 per cent covering duty-free importation of military hardware due to Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges.
Other government-backed duty waivers, he noted, covered the importation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, healthcare equipment and medical supplies, industrial machinery and manufacturing inputs, as well as food import intervention programmes.
While acknowledging the impact of the waivers on Customs revenue, Mr Adeniyi argued that fiscal policy should not be assessed solely on the basis of revenue generation but also on its broader economic and social objectives.
He, however, urged the federal government to establish stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries of duty waivers deliver the intended economic outcomes, including lower consumer prices, increased local production and improved healthcare access.
The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of several heads of government agencies invited to the hearing, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Mr Sani Musa, warned that the affected chief executives must appear at the committee’s next sitting or face severe sanctions under the Senate’s rules.
In the competitive world of online trading, finding a trading brokerage partner that balances reliability, technological innovation, and accessible conditions is essential. Headway broker has emerged as a significant player, currently serving over 4 million users globally.
In this article, we take a detailed look at what makes this broker for trading a notable option for both novice and experienced traders.
Headway Regulatory Foundation and Safety
Safety is the cornerstone of any trading relationship. Headway broker operates under the regulation and licensing of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). This regulatory oversight ensures that the broker adheres to strictly defined standards for transparency and operational conduct, providing traders with an added layer of security and confidence when managing their portfolios.
Trading Platforms and Instruments
Efficiency in trading Forex and other markets is driven by the tools at your disposal. Headway provides a robust technological trading ecosystem:
Industry-Standard Platforms: The broker fully supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), the most widely used platforms for technical analysis and automated trading.
Proprietary Mobile App: For traders who prioritize mobility, Headway offers its own custom-built trading app. It is readily available for download on both Google Play and the App Store, allowing for seamless account management and trading on the go.
Diverse Market Access: Traders have a wide range of opportunities with access to over 300 trading instruments, ensuring plenty of choice for different strategies and asset classes.
Trading Account Types Offered by Headway
Headway broker understands that every trader enters the market with a different level of experience:
Three Account Tiers: To ensure inclusivity, the broker offers three distinct types of accounts (Cent, Standard and Pro), tailored to suit different levels of expertise and capital requirements.
Demo Account: For those looking to refine their skills without financial risk, Headway provides a comprehensive demo trading account. This is the perfect environment to practice strategies, understand how the platform works, and gain confidence before transitioning to live trading.
Customer Support and Incentives
Headway supports its user base with comprehensive resources and financial incentives:
24/7 Technical Support: Market fluctuations happen at any time. Headway provides round-the-clock technical support for the traders, ensuring that help is always available whenever a question or issue arises.
150$ No Deposit Bonus: To help new traders get started, Headway offers a $150 no deposit bonus. This is an excellent way to test the broker’s execution speed and trading environment with zero initial risk.
IB Partnership Program: Beyond individual trading, Headway fosters growth through its Introducing Broker (IB) partnership program. This allows partners to build their business and earn commissions by referring new traders to the platform.
Conclusion
With its combination of FSCA regulation, a vast range of instruments, and modern platforms like MT4, MT5, and its own proprietary app, Headway FX broker provides a comprehensive environment for modern traders. Whether you are using the demo account to hone your skills or taking advantage of the 150 no deposit welcome bonus, this broker offers the stability and tools needed for your trading journey.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.40 per cent on Monday, July 13, buoyed by buying interest in 11 Plc, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc and UBN Property Plc, which offset the profit-taking in Food Concepts Plc, the parent company of Chicken Republic.
11 Plc gained N20.69 to end at N227.64 per share compared with last Friday’s price of N206.95 per share, CSCS Plc grew by N1.83 to N91.48 per unit from N89.65 per unit, and UBN Property Plc added 1 Kobo to sell at N1.81 per share versus N1.80 per share.
On the flip side, Food Concepts Plc depreciated by 24 Kobo to close at N2.45 per unit, in contrast to the preceding session’s N2.69 per unit.
As a result, the market capitalisation increased by N9.2 billion to N2.587 trillion from N2.578 trillion, and the NASD Security Index (NSI) improved by 15.33 points to 4,311.67 points from 4,296.34 points.
Yesterday, the volume of securities traded by investors surged by 615.9 per cent to 9.1 million units from the previous 1.3 million units, and the value of securities rose by 997.1 per cent to N320.4 million from the preceding session’s N29.2 million, while the number of deals decreased by 12.5 per cent to 28 deals from last Friday’s 32 deals.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units worth N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 73.9 million units exchanged for N5.2 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units traded for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.
