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.

HBM Nigeria Slides as Investors Sell the Earnings, Dividend News

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HBM Nigeria Slides as Investors Sell the Earnings, Dividend News In a sell-the-news reaction, HBM Nigeria Plc lost about 4% of its market value as investors trimmed holdings despite a half-year 2026 earnings beat and an interim dividend. Investors exited positions despite HBM Nigeria reporting a 57.0% year-on-year increase in earnings per share to N12.93. The cement company’s earnings growth was driven by revenue expansion that outpaced cost increases, further supported by a sharp increase in net finance income. The company fell from its 52-week high of N389.90 per share to N375.10 as 8.631 million units valued at N3.240 billion…

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SPE Backs Federal Government’s ‘Transparent’ Oil Licensing

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SPE Backs Federal Government’s ‘Transparent’ Oil Licensing The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Council has praised the Federal Government for conducting a transparent, automated and market-driven 2025 oil licensing round under the Petroleum Industry Act. SPE Nigeria Council Chairman, Francis Nwaochei, spoke on Tuesday in Lagos during a pre-event press conference ahead of the 49th Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE 2026). He described the exercise as a significant milestone for Nigeria’s upstream sector ahead of NAICE 2026. He commended the Federal Government, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission for strengthening investor…

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Naira Weakens as Nigeria’s Foreign Reserves Dip Below $52bn

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Naira Weakens as Nigeria’s Foreign Reserves Dip Below $52bn The Naira exchange rate weakened against the US dollar at the Nigerian foreign exchange market (NFEM) on increased demand for international payments and a slowdown in external reserves. Daily FX data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revealed an increase in interbank FX activities by financial institutions, the market makers, with a spike in US dollar volume turnover. The official rate weakened marginally by 15 basis points (bps) to ₦1,363.70 per US dollar bid, though forex market pressures appear minimal even with a sharp rise in FX activities. During…

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