Author: Marketforces Africa

UBA New Share Listing Boosts NGX Market Cap to N104.5trn Supported by new shares listed by UBA, the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) market capitalisation climbed to N104.5 trillion, a gain of N745 billion from the previous close. The local bourse sustained its upward trajectory, commencing the week with the All-Share Index climbing 0.58% to 163,244.69 points. Trading details showed that market capitalisation expanded by ₦744.99 billion to ₦104.52 trillion, representing a 0.72% increase driven by the additional listing of 3.16 billion ordinary shares of United Bank for Africa Plc on the NGX today. The bullish close was buoyed by price upticks…

Trump vs Fed fight escalates—markets won’t stand for it, CEO warns The independence of the Federal Reserve, the world’s largest economy’s central bank, is under attack, and markets won’t stand for it, warns the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations. The warning from Nigel Green of deVere Group comes as Chairman Jerome Powell says he is now under federal criminal investigation related to the $2.5 billion renovation to the central bank’s headquarters and his congressional testimony about that. The deVere Group CEO says: “This appears to be thinly veiled pressure on the Chair from the…

First HoldCo Names New Boards in Non-Banking Subsidiaries First HoldCo Plc has announced new board appointments across its non-commercial banking subsidiaries as part of measures to strengthen governance, deepen oversight and position the businesses for sustainable growth. The diversified financial services group said the appointments followed regulatory approvals from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM). According to a statement issued by the group’s media unit on Sunday in Lagos, the board changes are aimed at injecting experienced professionals into the subsidiaries and aligning operations with international best practices in corporate governance. The statement said…

Naira Diverges as Informal Sector’s FX Liquidity Tightens The naira diverges as the official and parallel exchange rates move in different directions amidst a supply shortfall in the informal sector. The official rate, however, recorded a weekly gain, which widened the exchange rates between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and parallel market quotes.  The CBN said in its daily fx update that the local currency appreciated to N1423.17 per dollar, gaining N7.70 week on week. The naira traded at an average of ₦1,421.90/US$ during the week, with inflows from Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) and supply from local participants supporting…

Nigeria’s Inflation to Rise by 1700 Basis Points –AIICO Capital Nigeria’s headline inflation rate for December 2025 would surge by at least 1700 basis points (bps) to a range of 31.4% and 32.4%, investment firm AIICO Capital Limited said, citing base effects and year end spending. The projection suggests that Nigeria’s 8-month disinflation will be halted in December ahead of the statistic office report this week. The market anticipates that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) will publish the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of December 2025 on January 15, with consensus showing a significant uptrend in the…

Ethereum Rises Above $3.1K in Soft Crypto Rally Ethereum (ETHUSD) maintains steeze amidst broader bargain hunting across cryptocurrency exchanges on Sunday, with the latest data showing the price hovering above $3,111. Market capitalisation of all cryptocurrencies surged by 50 basis points to $3.11 trillion, supported by positive price movements in Bitcoin and Ethereum in particular. ETH outpaced the overall crypto market’s gain with a modest uptick that aligns with its 7-day trend but contrasts with monthly losses. In the last 24 hours, Ethereum’s price has gained about 1% to $3111 as trading volume dropped by 61.06% on the day to…

Inflation Rate for December to Rise Sharply to 33.6% – Afrinvest Nigeria’s headline inflation rate has been projected to rise sharply to 33.6% in December 2025 as base effects are set to disrupt an eight-month disinflation trend. Ahead of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report, Afrinvest Limited dropped a hint that the consumer price index (CPI) would worsen by 19.15%, from a 14.45% inflation reading in November 2025 to 33.6%. In its update, Afrinvest stated that leading into December, Nigeria had recorded eight consecutive months of disinflation between April and November 2025. Over this period, the headline inflation rate…

Investors Gain N3.84trn as Nigerian Bourse Nears N104trn Equity investors gained N3.84 trillion in the Nigerian stock market over a five-trading-session period that lasted until Friday. The local bourse expanded to near N104 trillion in the second trading week in 2026. Stockbrokers said investor sentiment improved markedly, reflecting a move to take positions in fundamentally sound tickers ahead of the fourth quarter of 2025 earnings release. The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) All-Share Index closed the week at 162,298.08 points, representing a strong week-on-week appreciation of 3.71%, underscoring renewed confidence among market participants. NGX market capitalisation rose by ₦3.84 trillion to ₦103.78…

Stock Market Surges by N954bn as Bulls Extend Rally The stock market sustained its upward momentum on Thursday, gaining N953 billion in market capitalisation as investor confidence remained strong. Market sentiment was boosted by price appreciation in Industrial and Medical Gases, McNicholas, SCOA Nigeria, May and Baker, FTN Cocoa Processors and 43 other equities. Market capitalisation rose by 0.93 per cent, opening at N102.822 trillion and closing higher at N103.775 trillion, gaining about N954 billion to investors’ portfolios. Similarly, the All-Share Index increased by 0.93 per cent, advancing 1,491.52 points to close at 162,298.08 from 160,806.56 on Wednesday. Market breadth…

Trump’s Greenland Plans Put Investors on Alert Speculation that the US could seek to reshape Greenland’s future has moved rapidly from political theatre to market reality, forcing investors to now reassess the strategic map of critical minerals, Arctic security and long-term supply chains. This is an analysis of the CEO of global financial advisory giant deVere Group, as what once sounded implausible is now likely beginning to be priced into assets linked to rare earths, advanced materials and polar infrastructure. Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, says the implications for global investors are profound. “Greenland sits at the centre of…