Economy
Shareholders Laud Stanbic IBTC for Robust Bonus Dividend
By Dipo Olowookere
The board of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc has been commended for putting smiles on the faces of shareholders of the company despite the harsh operating environment.
On Thursday, May 27, 2021, the shareholders of the financial institution gathered in Lagos for their yearly gathering to discuss the performance of the firm in 2020.
At the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held by proxy in line with the COVID-19 guidelines of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the investors adopted the company’s audited financial statements for the 2020 financial year amongst other resolutions as presented by the board.
One of the other resolutions presented by the board was the payment of N3.60 final dividend as well as a bonus dividend in the proportion of one new ordinary share for every six existing ordinary shares held.
This bonus share thrilled the shareholders and one of them, Mr Tunde Bamidele, could not hide his excitement.
Mr Bamidele appreciated the board and management of Stanbic IBTC for the steadfastness, hard work and dedication, which resulted in the N83 billion profit after tax for the 2020 financial year and culminated in the 360 kobo dividend and allotment of bonus shares.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the board of directors, management and members of staff of Stanbic IBTC for a job well done.
“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the company declared a dividend of 360 kobo which is very impressive compared to other players in the financial industry.
“I would also like to thank you for giving us a bonus share for every six shares held. Indeed, the bonus dividend is robust,” he stated.
Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Mr Basil Omiyi, commended the group’s management on an impressive result despite operating in a tough environment.
“The board is very happy with what the management has been doing. We pass most of the commendation to our very efficient and able Management team who have delivered impressive results despite operating under difficult circumstances,” he said.
On his part, the CEO of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Mr Demola Sogunle, reiterated the management’s commitment to sustaining the high standards that have earned the group several commendations and awards, including the highest level of ratings by globally recognised rating agencies.
“We would continue to work very hard to sustain our high level of ratings by globally renowned rating agencies.
“We also pledge to continue adhering to regulatory guidelines, while also making improvements in the areas of performance, corporate governance, risk management, quality of workforce and succession planning,” he stated.
Also at the meeting, Mr Kunle Adedeji, Ms Ngozi Edozien and Ms Salamatu Suleiman were re-appointed as directors, while Mrs Sola David-Borha, the immediate past Chief Executive, Africa Regions, Standard Bank Group, was appointed as a non-executive director.
Other resolutions which were ratified were the election of members of the audit committee, the fixing of director’s fees and the approval of new external auditors for Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc.
In addition, KPMG Professional Services, having served as the group’s external auditors for the past 10 years, formally retired as auditors to the group in accordance with section 5.2.12 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Code of Corporate Governance, which stipulates a maximum tenure of 10 years for external auditors. PricewaterhouseCoopers was, thereafter, appointed as the new external auditor for the group.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange extended its stay in the south for the fourth consecutive session after it shed 1.18 per cent on Friday, March 13.
The unlisted securities market recorded a loss despite closing without a price decliner, and ending with two price gainers led by Geo Fluids Plc, which gained 1o Kobo to sell at N3.10 per share compared with the previous day’s N3.00 per share. Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc appreciated during the session by 2 Kobo to trade at 54 Kobo per unit versus Thursday’s closing price of 52 Kobo per unit.
When the market closed for the day, the market capitalisation lost N29.83 billion to close at N2.489 trillion compared with the N2.519 trillion it finished a day earlier, and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) crashed by 49.84 points to 4,160.46 points from 4,210.31 points.
Market activity improved yesterday, as the volume of transactions rose 179.5 per cent to 10.4 million units from 3.7 million units, but the value of trades declined by 68.4 per cent to N29.9 million from N95.0 million, while the number of deals weakened by 11.5 per cent to 46 deals from 52 deals.
Central Securities Clearing Systems (CSCS) Plc remained the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis with 38.4 million units worth N2.4 billion, Okitipupa Plc followed with 6.4 million units traded at N1.1 billion, and FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc transacted 6.3 million units for N584.3 million.
Resourcery Plc ended the trading session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 1.1 billion units valued at N415.6 million, trailed by Geo-Fluids Plc with 130.8 million units valued at N504.5 million, and CSCS Plc with 38.4 million units worth N2.4 billion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira continued to claw back some gains against the Dollar in the different segments of the foreign exchange (FX) market, as its value was strengthened on Friday.
In the black market, it gained N10 against the United States Dollar yesterday to close at N1,400/$1 compared with the preceding day’s rate of N1,410/$1, and at the GTBank forex counter, it chalked up N6 to close at N1,385/$1, in contrast to the N1,391/$1 it was traded a day earlier.
Similarly, in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX), it appreciated against the greenback during the session by N5.28 or 0.38 per cent to quote at N1,366.23/$1 versus Thursday’s closing price of N1,371.51/$1.
It also improved its value against the Pound Sterling in the official market on Friday by N21.81 to settle at N1,812.99/£1 compared with the previous day’s N1,834.80/£1, and gained N13.86 against the Euro to sell at N1,568.03/€1 versus N1,581.89/€1.
Pressure eased further on the FX market as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) continued interventionist operations this week, selling Dollars to banks to boost liquidity after a $500 million boost last week.
This was complemented by inflows from foreign investors, exporters and non-bank corporates, among others, while Nigeria’s gross external reserves remained above $50 billion, the highest since 2009.
The Governor of the apex bank, Mr Yemi Cardoso, also eased fears of a Naira devaluation, saying the country’s financial system has been strengthened by reforms.
Regardless, external pressure looms as the US Dollar strengthened globally due to its war with Iran, now ongoing for three weeks.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market was largely down as traders and investors continue to align with current realities.
The market is adapting to the conflict in real time. Early in the war, every headline produced an outsized reaction because nobody could price the tail risk. Now, traders have a framework where strikes happen, oil spikes and bitcoin dips only to recover again.
Cardano (ADA) depreciated by 3.8 per cent to $0.2623, Dogecoin (DOGE) lost 1.7 per cent to finish at $0.0948, Ripple (XRP) slumped 1.5 per cent to $1.39, Solana (SOL) dropped 1.4 per cent to sell for $87.33, Binance Coin (BNB) went down by 1.3 per cent to $653.58, Bitcoin (BTC) declined by 1.1 per cent to $70,670.63, and Ethereum (ETH) decreased by 0.9 per cent to $2,078.78.
However, TRON (TRX) appreciated by 1.7 per cent to $0.2941, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $1.00 apiece.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The price of the major crude oil grade, Brent crude oil, closed above $100 on Friday for the second consecutive session, as the Iran war heads toward its third week, with oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz still effectively at a standstill.
It gained 2.67 per cent or $2.68 during the trading day to close at $103.14 per barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil grade appreciated by 3.11 per cent or $2.98 to settle at $98.71 per barrel.
Brent futures were up about 10 per cent for the week following the 27 per cent rise seen last week, which marked the biggest weekly gain in oil prices since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. WTI futures, which saw their best week since 1983 last week, ended the week more than 8 per cent higher.
US President Donald Trump said American forces launched a major bombing raid on Iran’s strategic Kharg Island, targeting military facilities on the key Persian Gulf outpost while warning Iran that its vital oil infrastructure could be destroyed if shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted.
The terminal accounts for roughly 90 per cent of Iranian crude shipments, loading millions of barrels per day onto tankers bound largely for Asian markets.
The US and Israel’s strikes in the conflict have largely targeted Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure. Oil facilities elsewhere in Iran have been hit, but Kharg’s massive storage tanks, jetties, and pipelines had remained untouched until the latest strike.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed to keep fighting in a message delivered via state television.
There have been a number of attacks on foreign ships in or near the Strait, feeding into concerns that a prolonged war could translate to a global economic shock.
Prices are rising despite the US and its allies rolling out some measures to keep a lid on energy costs.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has agreed to release 400 million stockpiled barrels, the largest such action in history.
The US has issued a 30-day waiver for India to purchase sanctioned oil from Russia. President Donald Trump is considering loosening rules under the Jones Act that require American ships to transport goods between domestic ports, including oil and gas, in an effort to lower costs.
Traders are continuing to monitor developments in the Middle East.
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