Author: Olu Anisere

Nigerian Exchange Rises by N423bn on Strong Bargain Hunting The equities market capitalisation of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) rose by about N427 billion in the just concluded week due to bargain hunting in lightweight and few bellwethers. Top gainers in the stock market week companies with low market capitalisation: Gold Guinea Brew, Sunu Assurance Nigeria, Lafarge Africa WAPCO and others. The market ended the week on a bullish trajectory, with the All-Share Index (ASI) advancing by 0.72% week on week to close at 98,210.75 points. This performance underscores renewed investor confidence, driven by strategic positioning in high-performing stocks amid an…

FBN Holdings Plc’s price was flattish week on week amidst significant off-market transactions conducted by shareholders during the trading sessions, an investment firm said in a note.

Nigerian Bonds Benchmark Yield Flattish on Thin Trading The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) bond secondary market saw a calm conclusion to trading activity as the market anticipates a N7 trillion debt capital market increase in 2025. Following the initial frontload by the debt office, the supply of bonds has significantly decreased. The selloff of the JAN-2026 (+2bps) bond caused the average yield to slightly expand at the short (+1bp) end of the benchmark curve, but it closed flat at the mid and long segments. At the mid-segment of the benchmark curve, trading activity was concentrated in modest volumes, suggesting…

Crude oil prices slumped in the global commodities market on Thursday due to a weak demand outlook in China and United States.

Bitcoin Price Crosses $100,000 Mark for 1st Time The price of the cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, on Thursday surpassed the $100,000 threshold for the first time on the Bitstamp platform. The oldest and best-known cryptocurrency climbed by about 4.8 percent more than 24 hours, reaching 103,252 dollars on the day. In the past seven days, the leading cryptocurrency has gained more than 7 percent in value. Analysts attribute the steady increase to the new political landscape in the United States following Donald Trump’s election victory. The former and future U.S. president was backed by most of the crypto community during the election…

Interbank Rates Fall as Inflows Keep Liquidity Strong In the money market, interbank rates fell further on Wednesday as inflows from matured instruments pushed liquidity balance in the financial system higher again. The liquidity in the banking system sustained its upward momentum and expanded by 27% to begin the day with a surplus balance of N803.68 billion, TrustBanc Financial Group said in a post. The Nigerian Interbank Offered Rate (NIBOR) declined across all maturities, indicating sufficient liquidity within the banking system, Cowry Asset Limited said in a note. The short-term interest rates have been in decline since the beginning of…

Equities Market Index Rises Intraday as SEPLAT, WAPCO Rally The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) all-share index spiked by 51 basis points during early trading hours in the equities segment due to demand for Seplat Energy and Lafarge Africa stocks. The two companies’ stock price has climbed strongly as investors ramped up their shares. Lafarge Africa shares become attractive as the market expects a mandatory takeover offer from Xuaxin Cement following a $1 billion acquisition deal with Holcim. The Chinese cement company revealed a plan to make an offer to minority shareholders in order to take Lafarge Africa private. The notice has…

South Africa Eyes Nigeria’s Lithium for Electric Vehicles President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed South Africa’s interest in collaborating with Nigeria to harness lithium to drive the green energy transition and support the development of electric vehicles (EV) batteries. Ramaphosa said this on Tuesday in Cape Town, South Africa, at the Nigeria -South Africa Business Roundtable. He proposed leveraging Nigeria’s vast lithium reserves as a cornerstone for industrialisation efforts in the EV sector, Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, said in a statement. Ramaphosa urged the private sector and development finance institutions to collaborate in building…

The prices of crude oil increased further in the global market ahead of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and Allies producers (OPEC+) meeting on Thursday. 

AFC Leads €2bn Syndicated Facility for Bank of Industry Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) said it acted as global coordinator, lead co-arranger, underwriter, Bookrunners, and guarantor in the successful syndication of an up to €2 billion facility for Bank of Industry (BOI). Bank of Industry, Nigeria’s largest and most impactful development finance institution, sought to deepen small and medium-scale enterprise financing to drive economic growth. According to AFC, the transaction is a record global loan syndication for BOI, and marks the largest capital raise in its history, setting a new standard for developmental finance across Africa. Proceeds of the facility will…