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.
UK Headline Inflation Declines to 2.8% in April United Kingdom (UK) headline inflation fell sharply to 2.8% in April 2026, well below the 3.3% recorded in March and below the consensus forecast of 3.0%. The data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that petrol price inflation, in isolation, reached its highest level since 2022 at 23% in April – up from 4.9% in March. According to ONS, the core consumer price index (CPI) similarly moderated to 2.5%, while the Retail Price Index rose by 3.0%, landing significantly below the 3.6% market estimate. The sudden cool-down was a structural…
Global equities shuddered as rising bond yields and persistent inflation fears rippled through markets, driving increased demand for safe havens.
Binance Coin (BNB) price slipped 1.03% to $638.68 on Tuesday amid broader crypto market selloffs, primarily driven by a risk-off rotation away from altcoins.
Ethereum (ETH) price declined to $2,104.22 amid a large crypto transfer initiated by BlackRock, underperforming a slightly weaker broader market.
Ripple (XRP) price is down 3% to $1.35, underperforming a slightly weaker Bitcoin, primarily driven by a risk-off rotation out of altcoins amid broader market pressure.
Without peace in the Middle East, global markets have struggled to sustain an uptrend amid geopolitical instability, which has dampened investor sentiment.
Oil prices declined on Tuesday after President Donald Trump announced that he postponed a military strike against Iran after direct appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Why the Bond Market Suddenly Matters More than Nvidia The AI rally powering Wall Street to record highs is running into a rapidly rising threat from the bond market, with Treasury yields now climbing fast enough to challenge the extreme valuations driving Nvidia and the wider tech sector. “If 10-year Treasury yields keep moving toward 5%, investors are going to stop paying 30, 40 or 50 times earnings for growth stocks,” says Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations. “This is where the pressure on AI valuations becomes much more serious.” The…
DMO Hikes Rates on Nigerian Bonds as Auction Underperforms The Debt Management Office (DMO) hiked rates on 10 and 20-year reopening government bonds due to significantly lower subscription attraction at the monthly auction in May, 2026. Investors priced in higher inflation and fiscal risk, demanding a risk premium that the authority has continued to deny, as part of an effort to reduce government balance sheet funding costs. The Debt Office opened N600 billion reopening Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) bonds across 10 and 20 years from subscription on Monday, details from the auction circular, and results confirmed. Reflecting weak appetite,…
Bitcoin (BTC) price declined to $76,179.93, underperforming a broadly weaker market, primarily due to a sharp reversal in institutional demand for exchange-traded funds (ETFs).