South African Rand (ZAR) stabilises against crosses on Thursday after the local unit struggled to hold value against the US dollar amid strengthening geopolitical tensions.

Wall Street and the FTSE 100 declined as risk aversion dampened sentiment across global equities.  Escalating tensions in the Middle East set the tone for global risk aversion, with overnight US-Iran exchanges weighing on sentiment and driving a broad pullback in equities.

Cement company Lafarge Africa Plc lost about 10% of its market value due to heavy sell-offs on the Nigerian Exchange. The sell pressure aligned well with broader market direction, stockbrokers said, reflecting an ongoing market correction that has lasted for three days.

The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) Plc says it has disbursed more than N1 trillion to over one million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), supporting the creation of more than 1.6 million jobs since inception.

MTN Nigeria Plc lost about 7% of its market value on Wednesday as investors trimmed their holdings in the telecommunication company’s shares.

First Holdco Plc dropped by more than 16.78% in three days due to aggressive selloffs by the company’s shareholders in the stock market. The financial services company’s negative performance aligned with broader sentiment in the Nigerian Exchange.