Author: Gilbert Ayoola

Cracks in Diversification Drive : Julius Berger Leases Cashew Plant to Stem Losses In a move that has raised eyebrows across Nigeria’s financial and construction sectors, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has officially approved the lease of its cashew processing facilities to Eko Organic Food Industries Limited. This decision comes amid continued financial losses and signals a significant pivot in the company’s broader diversification strategy away from its traditional construction base and into agro-processing. While on the surface this appear to be a simple asset lease, the implications are far more complex and far-reaching, especially when viewed against the backdrop of…

Aradel: Still Asleep a Year After Its Big Market Debut? When Aradel Holdings Plc first graced the floors of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on October 15, 2024, the market greeted it with unrestrained enthusiasm. At a striking N818 per share debut, investors scrambled for a piece of what was billed as the next heavyweight in Nigeria’s evolving energy and industrial narrative. That day, whispers of “the next Seplat” echoed down Broad Street. By the close of that first trading week, the stock flirted with a euphoric 52-week high of N850.10, seemingly affirming its blue-chip aspirations. But nearly one year later,…

How Smart Money Powers Stocks and What Retail Investors Can Learn from It When the big players move, the market listens. Institutional investors—mutual funds, pension funds, insurance companies, and other large asset managers wield immense power on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX). These are not traders focused on quick flips or the emotional rollercoaster of daily price movements. Instead, they adopt a patient, fundamentals-driven approach that centers on one thing: where a company is going, not where it’s been. This distinction often marks the difference between short-term noise and long-term wealth creation. Institutions don’t ask if a stock has already rallied…

Extending the Clock: How Longer Trading Hours Could Transform the Nigerian Exchange As Nigeria’s capital market matures, the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) is taking bold steps toward transforming itself into a more dynamic, liquid, and competitive market. One of the most anticipated moves currently under consideration is the extension of trading hours from the current window of 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., to a longer, full-day session ending at 5:00 p.m. This proposed extension of trading hours is not happening in isolation. It aligns with ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing the operational efficiency of the Exchange, including the shift to a…

Nigeria’s 12 Highest-Paid CEOs in Quoted Companies As Nigeria’s business landscape grapples with economic reforms, currency fluctuations, and sectoral shifts, CEO compensation remains a key indicator of how listed firms value leadership. In this edition, we present a comprehensive analysis of the 12 highest-paid CEOs of Nigerian publicly listed companies in 2024 — revealing both their Naira-denominated earnings and their equivalent in US Dollars. At the current exchange rate of N1,536 to $1, we’ve converted these figures to USD to offer international comparability and deeper investor perspective. Naira Salary: N3.90 billion USD Equivalent: ~$2.54 million As the CEO of Nigeria’s…

Why Banks Delay Financial Results, Interim Dividends, and What It Means for You They’ve been a growing concern among major investors and shareholders of banks why they have delayed release of Q2 half-year financial results and subsequent payments of interim dividends for the year 2025. We might understand that this issue has caused some confusion and worry, especially given the pivotal role banks play in the Nigerian stock market and the consistent expectations around interim dividends, particularly extending to the month of September. Let me take a moment to explain clearly and respectfully what is unfolding, and what we can…

UAC Nigeria’s Crystallised Shares: What Investors Should Know UAC Nigeria Plc (UACN) recently disclosed to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) that 24 employees have received over 65 million shares through the company’s Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP), now crystallised under the company’s Value Creation Plan. In simple terms, crystallisation means these shares previously granted but subject to performance and time-based conditions have now fully vested. The employees now own these shares outright, at no cost, aside from taxes already deducted. The number of shares awarded varies significantly per employee, ranging from as few as 70,067 shares to as high as 26,072,215 shares.…

Prestige Assurance Financial Performance and Forward-Looking Market Outlook Prestige Assurance Plc has delivered a remarkable full-year performance for the period ended December 31, 2024, underlining the company’s resilience, operational efficiency, and a notable rebound in its investment portfolio. The audited results show not just growth in topline metrics but also strong traction in earnings and balance sheet expansion, making the stock a compelling proposition for investors eyeing value in Nigeria’s non-life insurance sector. In FY 2024, Gross Premium Written (GPW) soared by 50.5%, jumping from N14.93 billion in 2023 to N22.47 billion. This performance marks a significant stride in Prestige’s…

BUAFOODS Captures Spotlight, Hits 52-Week High Value of N11.33tn Trading at a record high, BUA Foods Plc has once again captured the spotlight on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), maintaining a strong bullish sentiment and momentum following a remarkable shareholder payout. The company announced its shareholders approved N13 dividend per share at the annual meeting, and this action resulted a spike in bargain hunting in the local bourse on Monday. With N11.334 trillion in market value at the close of trading session, the latest rally boosted BUA Foods share price to N629.7, its highest value in the last 52 weeks in…

BUA Foods Emerges as Nigeria’s Most Valuable Listed Company at a N10.6 Trillion In a historic stride for Nigeria’s capital market, BUA Foods Plc has claimed the top spot as the most valuable listed company on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), with a market capitalisation standing tall at N10.6 trillion. This monumental achievement reflects a strong blend of investor confidence, resilient financial fundamentals, and strategic sector positioning within Nigeria’s critical food and FMCG industry. But what underpins this meteoric rise? And does the current valuation justify the hype? At a market price of N590 per share, BUA Foods commands a significant…