Author: Olu Anisere

Interbank Bank Rates Steady over Robust System Liquidity Interbank rates were steadied due to excess liquidity in the money market, investment banking firms said in separate reports following the Central Bank open market operation action last week. Deposit money banks continued to park cash into the Central Bank ahead of expected monetary easing in the first quarter of 2026. No funding requests were recorded at the Standing Lending Facility window in the absence of funding pressures. Average daily liquidity in December eased by 1% to ₦3.23 trillion, from ₦3.35 trillion in November. The short term interest rates settled at floor…

OPEC+ Keeps Output as Oil Prices Drop by 18% in 2025 The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies members (OPEC+) kept oil output unchanged amidst global demand and supply uncertainties. At the meeting held on Sunday, the oil group deliberately avoided discussion of the political crises affecting several of the producer group’s members. The meeting of eight members of OPEC+, which pumps about half the world’s oil, came after oil prices fell more than 18% in 2025—their steepest yearly drop since 2020—amid growing oversupply concerns. Due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine war, demand and…

UBA Target Price Set at N71 Per Share Ahead of Q4 Pan-African lender United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc’s target price has been set at N71 by Lagos-based investment firm Cowry Asset Management Limited, reflecting significant upside in its share price in the stock market on Friday. The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) opened 2026 with a bullish note after gaining about 52% in 12 months.  NGX closed the trading session strong as market value of all listed companies surged to about N99.4 trillion. The banking index gained 2.96% as sectoral performance closed positive. Ahead of the fourth quarter of 2025 earnings…

GTCO Slides to £1,754.85m in London Stock Exchange Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) slipped by 2.16% to £1,754.85 million in the London Stock Exchange, trading data from the bourse tracked by MarketForces Africa shows. The financial services company has seen significant fluctuation in trading volume at the London stock market. As market anticipates the release of Q4 earnings, trading volume rose to 470.45 million in Oct, and slumped to 10.82 million in Dec. The banking stock settled at £0.06 following sell pressures as investors sentiment declined ahead of earnings. Trading activities have been minimal, restricting how the financial services…

Tinubu Saves N10trn Annually From Oil Subsidy Removal—Sen. Adeola Sen. Solomon Adeola (APC–Ogun West) has revealed that Nigeria now saves approximately N10 trillion annually following President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy. Adeola, Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, stated this on Saturday during his New Year thanksgiving service held at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Ona-Nla, Ilaro. The senator noted that within two years in office, the President had succeeded in removing a major cankerworm that had undermined the nation’s economy and finances. According to him, before the removal, few Nigerians were benefiting from the fuel subsidy at the detriment…

Guinness Nigeria Replaces United Capital Plc in the NGX 30 Index. The Nigerian Exchange Ltd., (NGX) said this on Friday, following the announcement of its full year market index review. According to NGX, the reviewed indices included: NGX 30; NGX Lotus Islamic; NGX Pension; NGX Pension Broad Index; Corporate Governance Index; Afrinvest Bank Value Index; Afrinvest Dividend Yield Index; Meristem Growth Index and Meristem Value Index. Also, the five Sectoral Indices of The Exchange: NGX Banking, NGX Insurance, NGX Industrial, NGX Consumer Goods and NGX Oil & Gas. The review had led to the entry and exit of some companies…

Nigeria’s Headline PMI Declines Slightly in December Nigeria’s headline purchasing manager index (PMI) moderated for the second consecutive month in December, settling at 53.5 in December 2025 from 53.6 in the previous month, although still in the growth territory. The Nigerian private sector remained in growth territory at the end of 2025 as improvements in customer demand fed through to higher new orders, output and purchasing activity, details from Stanbic IBTC PMI report released by S&P Global shows. According to the report, Nigeria’s employment also increased, but the rate of job creation remained marginal amidst moderating consumer price index and…

DOGE Spikes by 9% in Fresh Memecoin Rally Revival Dogecoin (DOGEUSD) spiked by 9.22% over the last 24 hours, outperforming both the cryptocurrency market and other memecoins, supported by an improved sentiment. The price surge combines memecoin sector rotation, technical triggers, and retail fear of missing out—but with a weak fundamental catalyst. According to data obtained from CoinMarketCap.com, DOGE is trading at $0.1317 at the time of writing with $22.14 billion in market capitalisation. The rally was driven by spot activity, not derivatives—signalling a healthier, more sustainable move. Resistance now sits near $0.1350; a clean hold above could target $0.1450.…

Crude Oil Prices Edge Higher Ahead of OPEC+ Meeting Crude oil prices closed higher on Friday in the global commodity ahead of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies members meeting on Sunday. The crude oil prices has been stemmed by expectation of supply glut and fluctuating demand with both side peppered by geopolitical risks linked to the Russia-Ukraine and rising tensions involving Iran, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela Brent crude traded at $60.74 per barrel, up 0.5% from last Friday’s close of $60.43. The US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 0.7% to $57.29 per barrel, compared with…

Oil Glut: Analysts See Brent Dropping to $55 per Barrel in 2026 Brent crude is poised to end 2025 sharply lower than where it began, as mounting oversupply risks and a softening demand outlook raise the prospect that prices could test $55 per barrel in the first half of 2026, analysts say. Geopolitical risks stemming from conflicts in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war provided support for oil prices through much of 2025. However, those risks were increasingly offset by concerns that US tariff policies could weigh on global growth, alongside easing tensions in the Middle East and renewed…