Author: Marketforces Africa

Money market analysts anticipate that robust primary market repayment of N2.4 trillion will play a pivotal role in strengthening liquidity in the financial system. This anticipated surge in liquidity is primarily driven by inflows from matured Open Market Operations (OMO) and Treasury bills.

XRP Dips as Standard Chartered Cuts Price Target by 65% Ripple (XRP) declined by about 1% in the past 24 hours, trading at approximately $1.35 in the cryptocurrency market despite a broader market decline. XRP dropped as the market reacted to Standard Chartered slashing its 65% target price for the altcoin amid increasing institutional adoption and utility expansions. On Sunday, XRP’s price hovered around $1.35, with a notable 14% decrease in trading volume, which amounted to about $1.4 billion. This price movement has kept XRP’s market capitalisation at $82.62 billion. From a technical standpoint, XRP is currently trading below all…

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) collected N207.49 billion from customers in December 2025.

Iran Conflict Raises New Credit Risks for Emerging Market Sovereigns The Iran conflict could pose additional challenges for some emerging-market sovereigns through channels such as energy imports, remittances, fiscal subsidies, exchange rates, and access to international finance, Fitch Ratings says. Hydrocarbon exporters could see positive effects. “Under our baseline, in which the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz lasts less than a month, and major damage to the region’s oil production infrastructure is avoided, risks to emerging market ratings should be contained, but a longer closure or more sustained effects could lead to a more substantial impact”. Oil and…

As the March 31 deadline for the bank recapitalisation exercise of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) draws near, the apex bank says 30 banks have met the new capital requirements.

The default rate in Fitch Ratings’ portfolio of U.S. privately monitored ratings (PMR) rose to a new high of 9.2% in 2025, up from 8.1% in 2024.

Industrial, Oil Stocks Drive Momentum in Nigerian Market Industrial and oil and gas stocks propelled momentum in the Nigerian stock market, building on the previous rally as trading activities closed on Friday in the local bourse. The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) continued its upward trend, with the All-Share Index increasing by 0.08% to reach 196,968.15 points, resulting in a year-to-date return of 26.58%. The stock market capitalisation grew by 0.08%, adding ₦119.03 billion to reach ₦126.4 trillion, largely due to the listing of an additional 105 million ordinary shares of FIDSON Healthcare on the NGX. Market sentiment remained favourable at 1.1x,…

The European Union (EU) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have strongly condemned what they described as unjustifiable Iranian attacks on GCC countries, saying the action threatens regional stability and global security.

The naira depreciated across the foreign exchange market due to tight liquidity in the official and informal segments of the local currency market.

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has reiterated its commitment to guiding Nigerian exporters on regulatory standards required for agricultural and food products to enter the European Union market.