Economy
US Stocks Look to Regain Some Ground
By Investors Hub
The major U.S. index futures are currently pointing to a higher opening on Friday, with stocks likely to regain some ground after moving mostly lower over the past few sessions.
Traders may look to pick up stocks at somewhat reduced levels following the recent pullback, although buying interest is likely to be relatively subdued amid lingering uncertainty about a U.S.-China trade deal.
Recent reports have suggested the signing of a phase one trade deal could be delayed until next year as U.S. and Chinese officials struggle to reach agreement on core issues.
The next round of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods is set to take effect on December 15th, potentially complicating efforts to reach an agreement.
In remarks at Bloomberg?s New Economy Forum in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China wants to work toward a phase one agreement on the basis of mutual respect and equality but will fight back if necessary.
Xi met with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the forum, reportedly describing U.S.-China relations as being at a critical juncture
?China and the United States should step up communication on strategic concerns to avoid misjudgment and enhance mutual understanding,? Xi told Kissinger, according to China?s state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said in an interview on Fox News this morning that a trade agreement with China is ?very close? and that the two economic superpowers have a ?very good chance to make a deal.?
After moving to the downside early in the session, stocks fluctuated over the course of the trading day on Thursday but largely maintained a negative bias. The major averages eventually ended the day modestly lower, adding to the losses posted on Wednesday.
The major averages finished the session in negative territory but off their worst levels of the day. The Dow slipped 54.80 points or 0.2 percent to 27,766.29, the Nasdaq dipped 20.52 points or 0.2 percent to 8,506.21 and the S&P 500 edged down 4.92 points or 0.2 percent to 3,103.54.
The continued weakness on Wall Street partly reflected renewed uncertainty about the U.S. and China finalizing a phase one trade deal.
On Wednesday, a report from Reuters said completion of a phase one U.S.-China trade deal could slide into next year.
Trade experts and people briefed on the talks told Reuters a deal is still elusive and negotiations may be getting more complicated.
Reuters said the delay in signing the deal comes as China presses for more extensive tariff rollbacks, and the Trump administration counters with heightened demands of its own.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he has not made a trade deal with China yet because Beijing is not “stepping up to the level that I want.”
Meanwhile, a report from the Wall Street Journal said China’s chief trade negotiator has invited his American counterparts to Beijing for a new round of face-to-face talks.
Citing people briefed on the matter, the WSJ said Chinese Vice Premier Liu He extended the invitation to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin during a phone call late last week.
In U.S. economic news, the Labor Department released a report showing first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits came in unchanged in the week ended November 16th.
The report said initial jobless claims came in at 227,000, unchanged from the previous week’s revised level. Economists had expected jobless claims to dip to 219,000 from the 225,000 originally reported for the previous week.
With the unchanged figure, jobless claims are hovering at their highest level since hitting 229,000 in the week ended June 22.
A separate report released by the National Association of Realtors showed existing home sales in the U.S. rebounded by more than expected in the month of October.
NAR said existing home sales jumped by 1.9 percent to an annual rate of 5.46 million in October after tumbling by 2.5 percent to a revised rate of 5.360 million in September.
Economists had expected existing home sales to surge up by 1.4 percent compared to the 2.2 percent slump originally reported for the previous month.
Gold stocks showed a significant move to the downside on the day, dragging the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index down by 2.2 percent. The sell-off by gold stocks came amid a notable decrease by the price of the precious metal.
Considerable weakness was also visible among commercial real estate stocks, as reflected by the 1.4 percent drop by the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index.
Semiconductor, computer hardware and housing stocks also moved notably lower, while energy stocks moved to the upside amid a sharp increase by the price of crude oil.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc kept the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange in the green territory by 0.04 per cent on Friday, July 16.
The securities depository company added N2.50 to its share price to settle at N95.14 per unit from the preceding session’s N92.64 per unit.
However, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc slid during the session by N5.85 to N141.81 per share from N147.66 per share.
But when the bourse closed for the day, the market capitalisation increased by N1.08 billion to N2.593 trillion from N2.592 trillion, while the NASD Security Index (NSI) appreciated by 1.80 points to 4,320.67 points from 4,318.87 points.
During the session, the value of securities slid by 38.9 per cent to N63.5 million from N104.1 million, the volume of securities went down by 34.5 per cent to 1.2 million units from 4.8 million units, and the number of deals declined by 15.4 per cent to 33 deals from 39 deals.
Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc was the most traded 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 75.4 million units traded for N5.3 billion.
GNI Plc also ended the day as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units exchanged for N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units sold for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.
By Dipo Olowookere
The bulls regained control of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Friday after surrendering power to the bears a day earlier as a result of mild selling pressure.
Yesterday, the Nigerian bourse rebounded by 0.54 per cent, mainly due to the gains recorded by First Holdco and others.
Data harvested by Business Post indicated that the industrial goods and energy sectors were flat, while the banking index chalked up 3.13 per cent. The insurance space expanded by 1.08 per cent, and the consumer goods counter rose by 0.21 per cent.
Consequently, the All-Share Index (ASI) went up by 1,316.52 points to 243,462.13 points from 242,145.61 points, and the market capitalisation grew by N850 billion to N157.057 trillion from N156.207 trillion.
The market breadth index was bullish during the last trading session of this week, printing 31 appreciating stocks and 23 depreciating stocks, representing strong investor sentiment.
First Holdco led the advancers’ log after it climbed 9.97 per cent to N95.95, Haldane McCall appreciated by 9.94 per cent to N3.65, LivingTrust Mortgage Bank soared by 9.73 per cent to N3.72, LASACO Assurance jumped by 5.26 per cent to N2.00, and Thomas Wyatt gained 5.10 per cent to quote at N3.09.
On the flip side, Red Star Express declined by 9.50 per cent to N20.00, Omatek slipped by 6.08 per cent to N1.70, C&I Leasing shrank by 5.93 per cent to N5.55, Jaiz Bank crashed by 5.03 per cent to N8.50, and Livestock Feed fell by 3.89 per cent to N8.65.
As for the activity chart, market participants bought and sold 685.9 million equities for N42.7 billion in 44,134 deals on Friday versus the 498.5 million equities worth N34.9 billion traded in 39,484 deals on Thursday, implying a rise in the trading volume, value, and number of deals by 37.59 per cent, 22.35 per cent, and 11.78 per cent, respectively.
Investors’ darling for the day was First Holdco, with a turnover of 225.9 billion units valued at N21.0 billion, Guinea Insurance sold 53.4 million units for N45.2 million, Zenith Bank traded 41.5 million units worth N4.7 billion, Access Holdings exchanged 29.1 million units valued at N720.6 million, and UBA exchanged 27.5 million units for N1.2 billion.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has appealed to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to deepen its sensitisation on the newly introduced Green Tax Surcharge Policy.
The chairman of APFFLON, Mr Akeem Ayobiojo, made this plea on behalf of his colleagues on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at the Customs House in Abuja, during a stakeholders’ engagement with the agency.
He also called for improvements in the administration of Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports and Post Clearance Audit and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Mr Ayobiojo stated that freight forwarders were happy to work with the customs, commending the organisation for implementing Chapter 99, describing it as a major relief for manufacturers.
He, however, emphasised that a deeper understanding of the new tax was necessary for his members, saying more predictable procedures would reduce delays and unexpected costs for importers and freight forwarders.
In his remarks, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, assured manufacturers, freight forwarders and other players in the nation’s trade sector that the NCS would continue to engage them on fiscal policies affecting their businesses, saying sustained dialogue remains key to resolving implementation challenges and improving the country’s trading environment.
He also promised them the service’s resolve to enhance and facilitate trade, acknowledging that, “Your feedback is important because it helps us understand what is happening in the field, and where necessary, we will take your concerns to the Federal Ministry of Finance and other relevant government institutions.”
Speaking about Authorised Economic Operator (AEO), Mr Adeniyi further explained that Nigeria would not lower the standards required under the Authorised Economic Operator Programme as the initiative is guided by global benchmarks established by the World Customs Organisation (WCO).
On her part, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs for Tariff and Trade, Ms Caroline Niagwan, clarified that electric vehicles can be imported without payment of duty only by holders of Import Duty Exemption Certificate (IDEC) issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
She also urged importers facing classification disputes to take advantage of the Advance Ruling system, noting, “Once an Advance Ruling is issued based on genuine documentation, importers have certainty on classification, valuation or origin before the goods arrive, thereby reducing unnecessary disputes during clearance.”
