Author: Marketforces Africa

Central Bank Estimates 4.17% GDP Growth in 2025 The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced that the 2025 economic indices indicate a positive outlook, with the nation’s GDP expected to accelerate to 4.17 per cent for faster economic growth. Mr Muhammad Abdullahi, Deputy Governor, Economic Policy Directorate, CBN, revealed this on Tuesday during the 11th edition of the National Economic Outlook: Implications for Businesses in 2025. The hybrid event, convened in Lagos, was organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) Centre for Financial Studies in collaboration with B. Adedipe Associates Ltd. Abdullahi said the nation’s 2025…

Zenith Bank Spikes on Investors Q4 Earnings Bet Zenith Bank Plc market value hits record high in the equities segment of the Nigerian Exchange during early trading hours on Wednesday. Its 31.396 billion shares outstanding were priced above N1.48 trillion during a midweek rally that pushed its market price to N47.25. The banking stock breached some resistance levels as investors increased shareholding in Ajose Adeogun based financial services warehouse. According to data from the Nigerian Exchange, Zenith Bank share price rose to N47.25 two hours after trading session began over bargain hunting. The current price is the best Zenith Bank…

Interbank Rates Fall as Remita Inflow, CRR Refund Boost Liquidity Nigeria’s banks borrowing activities at the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) standing lending facility (SLF) reduced as liquidity levels in the financial system improved sharply. In their separate notes, analysts said the latest round of inflows in the money market altered the short-term benchmark interest direction. While funding rates remained elevated, the market recorded a significant slide on the day ahead of the auction of N530 billion worth of Nigerian Treasury bills. Rates declined as Remita inflows, cash reserve credit, and coupon payments on FGN bonds boosted liquidity levels in…

Senate Promises Adequate Funding for Fiscal Responsibility Commission The Senate has promised to allocate adequate funds to government agencies playing watchdog roles, given their critical functions of compelling revenue-generating agencies to comply with financial regulations. Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. Sani Musa, stated this when the Chairman of Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Mr Victor Muruako, appeared before the committee to defend the commission’s budget. Sani, who decried what he called the under-funding of the commission, said that such critical and strategic agencies could not continue to be weakened lack of proper funding, He said that the principle of budget…

Equities investors on the Nigerian Exchange, NGX, gained more than N471 billion on Tuesday as MTNN and Transcorp rallied.

Investors Take Positions in MTN Nigeria after Tariff Hike Equities investors are currently taking positions in MTN Nigeria Plc in the stock market with an early gain of 10%, according to data obtained from the Nigerian Exchange. One hour after the trading platform opened, the telecom stock increased by 10%. Hence, MTN popularity among alpha seekers has boosted its market value to a maximum allowable for the day as demand spiked. More than N1 billion of the telecom stock has exchanged hands in the local bourse during early trading hours on Tuesday. Market sentiments improved following a 50% tariff hike…

Apple Leads as World’s Most Valuable Brand, NVIDIA Breaks into Top 10 Apple is once again the world’s most valuable brand. Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy, values Apple’s brand at USD574.5 billion for 2025, keeping it ahead of its closest rival, Microsoft, valued at USD461 billion. Except for 2023, when Apple briefly trailed Amazon by a margin of just 1%, it has held the top spot as the world’s most valuable brand since 2021. According to Brand Finance’s Global 500 2025 research, 4 out of the 5 most valuable brands in the world are technology brands: 1.   …

Oil Prices Decline as U.S Declares Emergency on Energy Oil prices declined in the global commodity market on Tuesday as Middle East tensions eased following a ceasefire agreement and U.S. national energy emergency declaration. President Donald Trump declared two emergencies on Monday, one on the southern border to address his immigration agenda and one for national energy, which will allow more US drilling of oil and gas. The emergency declared on energy reduced the tempo in the commodities market, and the market expects the US dollar index to retrace. U.S. authority seeks to boost fossil fuel production and reverse offshore…

Investors Exiting Positions in Bond Market Provoke Yield Surge With sustained risk-off sentiment, local investors exiting positions in the Nigerian bond market have provoked a surge in benchmark yield in the secondary market segment. Sell pressures persisted after an inflation jerk up triggered riskoff sentiment, with buckets of macroeconomic uncertainties mitigating against the investing environment. Bonds sell-offs were observed at the short (+1 p) and mid-segment (+1 bp) of the curve on Monday, traders said in separate notes. Fixed income market analysts at CardinalStone Securities Limited said investors sold down JUL-30 (+2bps) and FEB-31 (+3bps) papers. The notable offers for…

Nigerian Treasury Bills Rally, Yield Dips 5bps The average yield on Nigerian Treasury bills dipped by 5 basis points to close at 25.18% in the secondary market. The yield adjustment followed the latest buying interest in naira assets ahead of the midweek auction as market participants continued to selectively invest at attractive levels. On behalf of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the Debt Management Office, DMO, is scheduled to conduct another Treasury bills auction on Wednesday. With investors’ healthy appetites, fixed income market analysts expect subscriptions to be strong despite liquidity pressures in the banking system. The Treasury bills…