Economy
US Stocks Open Higher on Easing Trade Concerns
By Investors Hub
The major U.S. index futures are pointing to a higher opening on Thursday, with stocks likely to move back to the upside after turning lower over the course of the previous session.
Easing trade concerns may contribute to strength on Wall Street amid reports President Donald Trump might suspend threats to impose tariffs on cars imported from Europe if duties on U.S. cars are lifted.
Traders may also react to a report from payroll processor ADP showing private sector employment increased by less than expected in the month of June.
After failing to sustain an initial move to the upside, stocks came under pressure over the course of the abbreviated trading session on Tuesday. The major averages pulled back off their highs of the session and into negative territory.
The major averages ended the session just off their worst levels of the day. The Dow fell 132.36 points or 0.5 percent to 24,174.82, the Nasdaq slid 65.01 points or 0.9 percent to 7,502.67 and the S&P 500 dropped 13.49 points or 0.5 percent to 2,713.22.
The pullback by stocks came amid lingering trade concerns as tariffs on billions of dollars worth of U.S. and Chinese goods are set to take effect later this week.
In a move that could further inflame trade tensions between the U.S. and China, President Donald Trump’s administration has recommended blocking China Mobile from offering telecommunications services from within the U.S.
A statement from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, an agency of the Commerce Department, attributed the recommendation to national security concerns.
“After significant engagement with China Mobile, concerns about increased risks to U.S. law enforcement and national security interests were unable to be resolved,” said David Redl, NTIA Administrator and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information.
Redl said the NTIA subsequently recommends that the Federal Communications Commission deny China Mobile’s Section 214 license request.
Trading activity was light ahead of an earlier than normal close for the markets, with many traders looking to get a head start on the July 4th holiday.
On the U.S. economic front, the Commerce Department released a report showing an unexpected rebound in new orders for manufactured goods in the month of May.
The Commerce Department said factory orders climbed by 0.4 percent in May after falling by a revised 0.4 percent in April.
Economists had expected orders to come in unchanged compared to the 0.8 percent decrease originally reported for the previous month.
Semiconductor stocks showed a significant move to the downside over the course of the trading session, dragging the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index down by 1.8 percent.
With the decrease on the day, the semiconductor index more than offset the modest gain posted in the previous session, falling to its lowest closing level in two months.
Considerable weakness also emerged among computer hardware and banking stocks, with the NYSE Arca Computer Hardware Index and the KBW Bank Index falling by 1.3 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively.
On the other hand, substantial strength remained visible among gold stocks, as reflected by the 2.1 percent jump by the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index. The rally by gold stocks came amid a rebound by the price of the precious metal.
Economy
NGX Group’s 65th Annual General Meeting Holds April 29
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The 65th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc has been fixed for Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 11:00 am at its corporate head office on 2–4 Customs Street, Lagos.
Business Post gathered that the meeting would be streamed live on the company’s website and social media platforms to enable broader participation by shareholders and stakeholders unable to attend physically.
As part of a special business, shareholders will consider a proposed bonus issue of one new ordinary share for every three existing shares held as at the close of business on April 10, 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
The proposal also includes an increase in the organisation’s share capital from N1,102,309,954 to N1,469,746,605, to accommodate the bonus shares and amendments to the Memorandum of Association to reflect the new capital structure.
Also at the gathering, shareholders will consider and, if deemed fit, approve the company’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, alongside the reports of the directors, auditors, board evaluation consultants, and audit committee.
The meeting will also deliberate on the declaration of a final dividend and the re-election of three non-executive directors retiring by rotation, who are Mr Umaru Kwairanga, Mrs Ojinika Olaghere, and Dr Okechukwu Itanyi.
Other ordinary business items on the agenda include authorising the board to fix the remuneration of the external auditors, determining the remuneration of managers, and electing members of the statutory audit committee.
Economy
BNB Price Reflects Changing Dynamics in the Digital Asset Market
Economy
NASD Unlisted Security Index Crosses 4,000-point Benchmark Again
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange achieved a milestone on Friday, April 24, 2026, after five securities on the platform helped with a 1.85 per cent growth.
Data showed that the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) again crossed the 4,000-point benchmark yesterday.
The index chalked up 73.64 points during the trading day to close at 4,052.59 points compared with the preceding session’s 3,978.95 points, while the market capitalisation added N5.38 billion to finish at N2.424 trillion versus Thursday’s closing value of N2.380 trillion.
The price gainers were led by Okitipupa Plc, which grew by N25.00 to sell at N305.00 per share compared with the previous price of N280.00 per share. Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc gained N6.92 to close at N76.26 per unit versus N69.34 per unit, Afriland Properties Plc appreciated by N1.00 to N17.00 per share from N18.00 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc improved by 55 Kobo to N99.55 per unit from N99.00 per unit, and Food Concepts Plc increased by 5 Kobo to N2.70 per share from N2.65 per share.
However, there was a price loser, MRS Oil, which dipped by N21.75 to N195.75 per unit from N217.50 per unit.
During the final session of the week, the value of securities jumped 75.2 per cent to N41.3 million from N23.6 million units, and the number of deals expanded by 62.9 per cent to 44 deals from 27 deals, while the volume of securities declined marginally by 0.9 per cent to 447,403 units from 451,522 units.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc was the most traded stock by volume (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, trailed by Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units valued at N415.7 million, and Infrastructure Guarantee Credit Plc with 400 million units traded for N1.2 billion.
GNI was also the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by CSCS Plc with 59.6 million units transacted for N4.0 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.8 million units exchanged for N1.9 billion.
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