Economy

Tension as Saudi Arabia Triggers Oil Price War

Published

6 years ago

09/03/2020

By Adedapo Adesanya

Following the collapse of talks concerning cutting daily oil production last week by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries alliance (OPEC+), Saudi Arabia has kick-started a price war by slashing the prices it sells crude into foreign markets.

The Kingdom, which is the world’s largest oil exporter, over the weekend started offering discounts on its crude grade prices to destinations in Europe, the Far East and the United States to entice refiners to purchase Saudi crude at the expense of other suppliers.

Saudi Arabia cut official selling price (OSP) of the commodity by $6 to $8 a barrel across all these regions which is seen as a direct attack at the ability of Russian companies to sell crude in Europe.

The state oil giant, Saudi Aramco, set its Arab light crude oil to Asia for April at a discount of $3.10 to the Oman/Dubai average, down $6 a barrel from March.

It cut the April OSP of its Arab light crude oil to the United States to a discount of $3.75 per barrel compared to Argus Sour Crude Index (ASCI), down $7 per barrel from March.

Aramco lowered its OSP for Arab light crude oil to Northwestern Europe to a discount of $10.25 per barrel to Ice Brent, down $8 per barrel.

This is a major worry for other suppliers which include Nigeria, with the Kingdom also planning to increase its production as high as 12 million barrels per day.

Current production is at 9.7 million per day as instituted by the OPEC alliance last December, but due to a fall out with another member of the alliance, Russia, over its failure to agree to further cuts, the producer is playing a game that will plunge an already over-supplied market into an oil glut as other producers will likely flood the market.

After the talks collapsed, the Russian Energy Minister, Mr Alexander Novak, said countries were free to pump without restrictions from the end of March and this led Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, to its biggest daily drop since the global financial crisis in 2008 at $45.27 per barrel.

Analysts believe that this could be an attempt to get Russia and other producers to negotiate because prices will continue to fall as a result of this, except if they make a deal and reverse the decision.

With the coronavirus affecting demand this year, Brent crude has dropped by over 20 percent. Last week, prices further fell more than 9 percent in one day after Russia walked out of the OPEC deal.

Economy

11 Plc, FrieslandCampina, CSCS Lift NASD Exchange by 1.38%

Published

1 day ago

04/07/2026

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

Three securities lifted the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 1.38 per cent on Friday, July 3, with the NASD Security Index (NSI) up by 58.80 points to 4,307.26 points from 4,248.46 points, and the market capitalisation closing higher by N35.30 billion to N2.585 trillion from N2.549 trillion.

The price gainers were led by 11 Plc, which expanded by N20.05 to close at N220.55 per share compared with the previous day’s N200.50 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc increased by N5.36 to N151.82 per unit from N146.46 per unit, and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc appreciated by N3.52 to N90.74 per share from N87.22 per share.

Yesterday, the value of transactions surged by 1,431.2 per cent to N160.1 million from the preceding session’s N10.5 million, and the volume of trades rose by 303.7 per cent to 1.8 million units from 440,653 units, while the number of deals decreased by 34.4 per cent to 21 deals from 32 deals.

Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc was the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units worth N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 70.7 million units transacted for N4.9 billion.

GNI Plc was also the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units exchanged for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units traded for N415.7 million.

Economy

Nigerian Stocks Rebound by 2.19% to Halt Losing Streak

Published

1 day ago

04/07/2026

Dipo Olowookere

By Dipo Olowookere

The losing streak on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited was halted on Friday after the bourse closed higher by 2.19 per cent at the close of trading activities.

The gains reported by Nigerian stocks were buoyed by renewed bargain-hunting by investors, which resulted in all the key sectors of Customs Street ended in the green territory.

The banking space rose by 2.78 per cent, the insurance counter appreciated by 1.26 per cent, the energy segment expanded by 0.36 per cent, the consumer goods index chalked up 0.06 per cent, and the industrial goods sector grew by 0.05 per cent.

Consequently, the All-Share Index (ASI) went up by 4,918.37 points to 229,240.34 points from 224,321.97 points, and the market capitalisation increased by N3.156 trillion to N147.103 trillion from N143.947 trillion.

Investor sentiment was bullish after 34 stocks ended on the price gainers’ chart and 18 stocks finished on the losers’ log, representing a positive market breadth index.

The quintet of The Initiates, Universal Insurance, DAAR Communications, Omatek, and Airtel Africa surged by 10.00 per cent to sell for N25.85, 88 Kobo, N1.65, N1.76, and N5,274.00, respectively.

On the flip side, International Energy Insurance lost 9.96 per cent to trade at N4.70, Meyer shed 9.95 per cent to close at N18.55, Veritas Kapital dropped 5.07 per cent to finish at N1.31, Fidelity Bank slipped by 2.17 per cent to N18.00, and Jaiz Bank crashed by 1.84 per cent to N28.12.

During the session, a total of 414.7 million equities worth N25.1 billion exchanged hands in 47,106 deals compared with the 855.4 million equities valued at N28.4 billion transacted in the preceding day in 51,609 deals, implying a contraction in the trading volume, value, and number of deals by 51.52 per cent, 11.62 per cent, and 8.73 per cent, respectively.

Economy

Naira Trades Flat at Official Market as CBN Makes Minimal FX Intervention

Published

1 day ago

04/07/2026

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Naira closed flat against the United States Dollar at N1,370.19/$1 in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Friday, July 3.

However, it appreciated against the Pound Sterling in the same market segment by N2.29 to settle at N1,829.88/£1 compared with the previous day’s N1,832.17/£1, and marginally depreciated against the Euro by 4 Kobo to close at N1,568.32/€1 versus Thursday’s closing price of N1,568.28/€1.

At the parallel market, the Naira also traded flat against the US Dollar at N1,390/$1, and at the GTBank forex desk, it also maintained stability at N1,832/$1.

Market conditions improved shortly after the following minimal intervention by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through modest Dollar sales, which boosted liquidity and supported stronger trading activity.

Easing pressure came after half-year profit-taking tapered down, while continued stronger policy signals from the central bank add to near-term support.

Deals executed at the official market on Friday came in at $70.430 million across 82 interbank deals, from $85.517 million the previous day.

Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market continued its recovery after June non-farm payrolls printed at 57,000, less than half the 113,000 consensus, sending the implied probability of a September Federal Reserve rate hike from 64 per cent to 54 per cent and dragging AI stocks sharply lower.

Weak labour data reduces inflationary pressure and, by extension, the Federal Reserve’s justification for holding rates elevated. That transmission mechanism is direct: lower rate-hike odds compress the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets like crypto.

Bitcoin regained the $62,000 mark after it rose by 1.3 per cent to $62,475.29.

Cardano (ADA) gained 6.6 per cent to trade at $0.1759, Ripple (XRP) appreciated by 3.5 per cent to $1.14, Ethereum (ETH) expanded by 2.4 per cent to $1,756.82, Dogecoin (DOGE) improved by 2.1 per cent to $0.0768, Solana (SOL) chalked up 1.8 per cent to $82.65, TRON (TRX) increased by 1.5 per cent to $0.3235, and Binance Coin (BNB) soared by 1.4 per cent to $569.12, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) traded flat at $1.00 apiece.