- Global Markets Mixed as Hawkish Talks Rattle US Mega Stocks
- Prices of Crude Oil Hold Below $80 on US-Iran Peace Progress
- Nigerian Treasury Bills Yields Fall on Naira Asset Attractiveness
- OMO Debit Drains Money Market Liquidity, Overnight Rate Dips
- Naira Falls as Interbank FX Turnover Dips 52% on Reduced Deal Count
- XRP Dives to Technical Battleground as Grayscale’s GXRP Trust Selloff
- Monetary Policy Focused on Price Stability in 2025 – CBN
- Nigeria’s Domestic Economy Expanded by 3.87% in 2025 – CBN
Author: Julius Alagbe
Julius Alagbe is a senior financial journalist and Editor at MarketForces Africa with nearly two decades of experience in finance, accounting, and economics reporting.He is one of Nigeria's most prolific financial market reporters, covering capital markets, monetary policy, corporate earnings, banking, telecoms, and macroeconomic developments across Africa.Julius has built a strong footprint reporting on Nigeria's leading corporates and financial services sector, including coverage of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Central Bank of Nigeria monetary operations, MTN Nigeria, GTCO, and major investment banking transactions.He regularly monitors the CBN’s open market operations, interbank FX markets, and equity market movements, providing readers with real-time intelligence on Nigeria’s financial landscape.His reporting draws on direct access to institutional research from firms including Moody’s Ratings, CardinalStone Securities, Fitch, and other leading African investment houses.Julius brings analytical depth and editorial rigour to every story, making complex financial data accessible to professionals, investors, and policymakers across Africa.Julius Alagbe is based in Lagos, Nigeria.
Naira Heads South as Interbank FX Turnover, Deal Count Rise The Nigerian local currency, the naira, headed south on Wednesday as a surge in international payments eclipsed US dollar volume availability in the official window. In its daily report, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) indicated that the official spot FX rate depreciated to N1379.0675 per US dollar, down from N1375.7463 quoted the previous day. With an exchange rate quote of N1370.1904 at the beginning of the week, the official rate has weakened by N9, increasing companies’ costs of dollar payments for offshore goods and services. FX transactions were consummated…
Airtel Africa Makes History, Market Value Tops N21trn A strong, fast-and-furious re-rating has pushed the market value of Airtel Africa Plc’s 3.758 billion outstanding shares on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) above N21 trillion. Airtel Africa has seen an absolute gain of about N3.8 trillion over the last seven trading sessions on the Nigerian bourse, and some investment firms have raised their target prices for the telecom stock. This is historic for the market, and the telecom giant has won the title of most valuable company, with a valuation approaching the N22 trillion mark. Trading data showed that the Airtel Africa…
CBN Hikes Interest Rates on Treasury Bills, Allots N1.1trn The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) hiked spot rates on Treasury bills at the primary market auction conducted on Wednesday, according to auction results released. The midweek auction conducted by the Debt Management Office (DMO) on behalf of the monetary authority recorded significant investor subscriptions seeking to position in naira assets. The treasury bill auction bucket included N100 billion in 91-day bills, N100 billion in 182-day bills, and N500 billion in 364-day bills. The auction recorded about N1.6 trillion in aggregate subscriptions as investors continue to chase elevated yields on fixed-income…
XRP price is down 4.35% to $1.07, underperforming a broadly weaker crypto market, primarily driven by a “sell-the-news” reaction to a key regulatory milestone.
The Decade of Gas Initiative says Nigeria’s gas demand is projected to reach about 15 billion standard cubic feet (bscf) per day by 2030.
South Africa Rand Slips as Geopolitical Twist Favours US Dollar South African Rand slipped against the US dollar, the euro, and the British pound on Wednesday as a geopolitical twist boosted demand for safe-haven assets. In its morning brief, First National Bank (FNB) told investors that the rand traded slightly weaker as investors favoured the US dollar amid evidence of continued resilience in the US economy and renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. ZAR weakened as US trade data highlighted strong import demand and ongoing business investment, while concerns over energy supply disruptions resurfaced after a Qatari LNG vessel…
Global markets swung into the red overnight as a reignition of tensions in the Middle East and a resulting spike
Crypto Market Falls 2% as US-Iran Tensions Re-ignite Selloffs The total cryptocurrency market capitalisation fell by approximately 2% to $2.14 trillion on Wednesday due to heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. The crypto market is experiencing a rush of selling as investors begin to take early exits from top digital assets amid geopolitical tensions triggered by Washington and Iran. Bitcoin dropped to $62,000, while Ethereum decreased by 0.77% to $1,760. Other leading cryptocurrencies are also struggling as investor sentiment shifts to a risk-off approach. All market sectors declined, with the DeFi sector experiencing the largest drop at 9%,…
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was “over.”
Oil Prices Edge Higher on Fresh US, Iran Tensions Oil prices climbed more than 3% on Wednesday as investors feared supply disruptions after the US launched fresh strikes on Iran, commercial vessels came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz, and Washington tightened restrictions on Iranian oil exports. International benchmark Brent crude traded at $76.64 per barrel at 9.37 a.m. local time (0637 GMT), up around 3.3% from the previous close of $74.16. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose about 3.3% to $72.83 per barrel from $70.44 in the previous session. The latest escalation revived concerns over the security…