Billionaire Agarwal Increases Stake in Anglo American to 19%

Billionaire Agarwal Increases Stake in Anglo American to 19%

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Billionaire Anil Agarwal has increased his stake in Anglo American Plc to 19 percent, making him the biggest shareholder in the London blue-chip mining company. Agarwal’s Volcan Holdings Plc bought 102.2 million shares in Anglo, according to a regulatory filing Friday. The Indian billionaire, who said last month that he planned to buy as much as 1.5 billion pounds ($2 billion) of the stock, paid an average of 14.68 pounds, based on that…

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Iron Ore Rallies as China Imports Bust 100 Million Ton Level

Iron Ore Rallies as China Imports Bust 100 Million Ton Level

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Iron ore imports by China surged above 100 million metric tons to a record, smashing the previous high set in 2015, as the country’s concerted push to clean up the environment stoked demand for higher-grade material from overseas while hurting local mine supply. Prices rallied. Purchases of iron ore expanded to 102.8 million tons in September from 93 million tons a year ago, surpassing the previous record of 96.3 million tons…

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What’s Next in Kenya’s Political Crisis Is Anybody’s Guess

What’s Next in Kenya’s Political Crisis Is Anybody’s Guess

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Two months after Kenya staged its presidential election, the East African nation’s political future remains a guessing game. The drama began last month when the Supreme Court — in a first for Africa — annulled the Aug. 8 election because of “illegalities and irregularities” and ordered a fresh vote. That followed allegations by opposition candidate Raila Odinga that the original vote, won by President Uhuru Kenyatta, was rigged. The latest twist came…

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George Weah Takes Early Lead in Liberia Presidential Election Count

George Weah Takes Early Lead in Liberia Presidential Election Count

MONROVIA (Capital Markets in Africa) Former A.C. Milan soccer star George Weah and Vice President Joseph Boakai lead in Liberia’s presidential election as the electoral commission released provisional results of the October 10 vote. Weah won 39 percent of the vote, while Boakai got 31 percent, with about 548,000 ballots counted, Jerome Korkoya, chairman of the National Elections Commission, told reporters on Friday. The commission didn’t say how many of the 2.2 million registered voters took part in…

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Stock Traders Scarce in Kenya as Poll Crisis Clouds Outlook

Stock Traders Scarce in Kenya as Poll Crisis Clouds Outlook

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Traders are deserting Kenya’s stock market, a star performer earlier this year, as the unresolved crisis around the country’s presidential election discourages foreign investors. Volumes traded on the Nairobi stock exchange have slumped to the lowest this year, dropping to less than 46 million shares in the week ended Oct. 6 from as high as 285 million in June. Values have also dropped, with $870,000 of shares traded Thursday,…

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South African Yield Closing in on Turkey Shows Downgrade Fears

South African Yield Closing in on Turkey Shows Downgrade Fears

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – The shrinking yield discount on South African dollar bonds relative to Turkish debt is a sign investors are pricing in another credit downgrade for Africa’s biggest economy, according to Standard Bank Group Ltd. The 10-year spread has narrowed to 19 basis points, from 120 basis points in January. While Turkey’s yield has dropped amid demand for emerging-market assets, South Africa’s tracked sideways as political and fiscal challenges mount.  “The…

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Kenyan Vote to Proceed as Opposition Withdrawal Is Disputed

Kenyan Vote to Proceed as Opposition Withdrawal Is Disputed

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Kenya’s electoral commission said a rerun of the country’s annulled presidential election will go ahead on Oct. 26, as the main opposition disputed the authority’s assertion that its candidate has yet to withdraw from the race. National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga, who announced on Tuesday that he’s pulling out, must fill in a so-called Form 24A to formalize his exit from the poll, the Independent Electoral & Boundaries Commission…

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