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.

Lagos Introduces Building Insurance Scheme

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Lagos Introduces Building Insurance Scheme The Lagos State Government has introduced the Lagos State Building Insurance Scheme (LAGBIS) to enforce compulsory building insurance and protect lives and property. The government says growth without safety is not progress, hence the scheme. The state Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Sam Egube, stated this at the unveiling of the scheme on Friday in Lagos. He said the initiative was aimed at strengthening building safety, promoting accountability in the construction sector and reinforcing Lagos’ position as a safe, responsible and globally competitive city. “What we are launching…

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Equities Investors Lose N306bn as Nigerian Exchange Index Slips

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Equities Investors Lose N306bn as Nigerian Exchange Index Slips Equities investors lost about N306 billion on Friday as the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) All-Share Index (ASI) declined by 19 basis points. The local bourse closed the week in negative territory due to fresh profit-taking in recently appreciated medium- and large-cap stocks such as PRESCO, UBA, TRANSCORP, FIRSTHOLDCO, among others. The All-Share Index fell by -474.00 basis points to close at 247,357.40. Also, stock market capitalisation reduced by ₦305.82 billion to close at ₦159.59 trillion. Despite the bearish close, the overall market posted a positive week-on-week performance. Total volume and the total…

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XRP Dips, Ripple Launches Ripple Mint for RLUSD Stablecoin

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XRP Dips, Ripple Launches Ripple Mint for RLUSD Stablecoin XRP price declined by about 3% on profit-taking to $1.10 amidst Ripple’s launch of Ripple Mint for institutional RLUSD stablecoin management. The token pulled back while approaching $1.16 due to shifting investor sentiment in the broader cryptocurrency market. With a $1.10 transaction value, trading volume remained depressed in the absence of institutional bets via exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to XRP. Consolidating its cross-border payment push, Ripple launched Ripple Mint, a unified platform giving institutions a single interface for minting, redeeming, and managing RLUSD. Analysts said Ripple Mint is a move…

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Global Markets Dab on US Rate Hike Projection, AI Spending Concern

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Global Markets Dab on US Rate Hike Projection, AI Spending Concern Global markets sentiment shifted negatively, with US stocks, the FTSE 100 and the Stoxx 50 nosediving as investors rotated capital from risky assets. US equities fell sharply on Thursday as investors assessed the deteriorating macroeconomic backdrop and renewed doubts over AI spending amid soaring oil prices following Houthi attacks on tankers in the Red Sea. By market close, the S&P 500 declined 1.21%, the Nasdaq fell 2.15%, and the Dow Jones retreated 0.97%. Across the pond, European equities also traded lower on Thursday as Brent extended gains for a…

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South African Rand Weakens as Reserve Bank Holds Rates

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South African Rand Weakens as Reserve Bank Holds Rates The South African rand trades weaker against the US dollar, the euro, and the British pound in the forex market as the Reserve Bank held key rates amidst global energy and inflation concerns. Expectations of an interest rate hike in the US continue to strengthen the US dollar, triggering a surge in global bond yields, which weighed on sentiment towards emerging-market currencies. Market analysts said investors are increasingly concerned that higher oil prices and renewed US trade tariffs could reignite inflation, support the dollar and reduce demand for risk-sensitive currencies. On…

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Investors Optimistic Ahead of Apple Inc. Q3 Earnings

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Investors Optimistic Ahead of Apple Inc. Q3 Earnings Investors are betting heavily on Apple Inc. ahead of the third quarter of 2026 earnings (Q3) release, with expectations of a spike in revenue and high margins. Apple Inc delivered a solid print for 2Q26, with strong double-digit growth in both the top and bottom line, which exceeded market expectations. Net sales increased 16.6% y/y to $111.2 billion, supported by symmetrical growth in both products (+16.7%) and services (+16.3%). Revenue generation was bolstered by solid traction across all products, inelastic demand for the iPhone 17 family and strategic entry into new…

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