FX reserves – China has enough, Says Standard Bank

FX reserves – China has enough, Says Standard Bank

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – China’s foreign exchange reserves are now below USD3tr, the lowest in three years. In fact, relative to GDP, this is the lowest since the early 2000s. China has seen a material decline in reserves-to-GDP since 2008 resulting from declining global demand combined with growing outbound investment. More recently, the sharp decline in China’s once heralded reserves has come with the defence of the renminbi, triggering concerns in global financial…

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Nigerian Breweries Buoys Market Performance…NSE ASI marginally up 1bp

Nigerian Breweries Buoys Market Performance…NSE ASI marginally up 1bp

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – The Nigerian equities market closed flat as the All Share Index rose 1bp to settle at 25, 251.63 points, while YTD loss of the index was unchanged at -6.0%. The major drivers of the positive performance today were NIGERIAN BREWERIES (+4.3%), FBNH (+3.2%) and ACCESS(+2.5%) as market capitalisation rose N741.4m to N8.7tn. Activity level strengthened as volume and value traded rose 26.9% and 181.1% to 131.2m units and N2.8bn…

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Ethos-backed Twinsaver Group diversifies via acquisition of Validus Medical

Ethos-backed Twinsaver Group diversifies via acquisition of Validus Medical

Johannesburg (Capital Markets in Africa) – The Twinsaver Group (Twinsaver), the manufacturer of branded tissue products in South Africa, today announced its acquisition of Validus Medical (Validus), a leading manufacturer of hygienic disposable products. The sale, which is subject to regulatory and Competition Commission approval, signals a new chapter in Twinsaver’s journey as it focuses on establishing the business as a diversified FMCG company. Speaking on the transaction, Garth Towell, CEO at The Twinsaver Group,…

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Nigerian Breweries Profit Falls as FX Shortage Adds to Costs

Nigerian Breweries Profit Falls as FX Shortage Adds to Costs

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigerian Breweries Plc, the local unit of Heineken NV, said full-year profit declined 26 percent as a shortage of foreign exchange hampered the import of raw materials and increased the cost of doing business. Net income declined to 28.4 billion naira ($90 million) fin 2016 from 38 billion naira the previous year, the Lagos-based company said in a statement published on the Nigerian Stock Exchange’s website on Monday. Cost of sales…

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Nigeria says sees no need to go to IMF, plans its own reforms

Nigeria says sees no need to go to IMF, plans its own reforms

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria sees no need to apply for an International Monetary Fund programme as it is pursuing its own economic reform plan, Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun said on Tuesday. Sharp falls in the price of crude oil, its main export, have tipped Africa’s biggest economy into its first recession for 25 years and hammered the naira currency, prompting speculation it might need IMF funding to cover a growing budget deficit….

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Nigeria tests waters for possible broad naira devaluation

Nigeria tests waters for possible broad naira devaluation

ABUJA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria effectively devalued the naira for private individuals on Monday, paving the way for a possible broader move despite stiff resistance from President Muhammadu Buhari. With Buhari abroad for medical treatment and the country’s currency exchange system in chaos, the central bank said Nigerians wanting dollars for travel or to pay foreign school fees could buy dollars at nearly 20 percent above the official rate. Some Nigerians saw the…

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IFC and West African Development Bank Support Housing Finance

IFC and West African Development Bank Support Housing Finance

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, today announced a financing agreement with the West African Economic and Monetary Union’s Caisse Régionale de Refinancement Hypothécaire, the regional mortgage refinancing company, to address the pressing need for affordable housing in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) zone. IFC is providing an equity investment of 1.25 billion CFA franc ($2 million) in CRRH-UEMOA.  CRRH-UEMOA, a regional initiative launched…

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