South Africa’s Rand Gains to Five-Month High Versus Dollar

South Africa’s Rand Gains to Five-Month High Versus Dollar

Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa — The rand gained to its strongest level against the dollar in five months after South Africa unexpectedly posted a trade surplus in March for the first time this year. The currency gained 0.9 percent to 14.1611 per dollar by 2:46 p.m. in Johannesburg, heading for the strongest level since Nov. 24 and the best performance out of 31 major and emerging-market currencies monitored by Bloomberg. The rand has advanced 9.2 percent…

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Kenya’s Biggest Bank May Expand Operations to Four New Countries

Kenya’s Biggest Bank May Expand Operations to Four New Countries

NAIROBI, Kenya, Capital Markets in Africa — Kenya Commercial Bank  (KCB) Group Limited, owner of Kenya’s largest bank, may enter Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Djibouti by 2020, said Chief Executive Officer Joshua Oigara. The lender is willing to swap shares to fund transactions, he told reporters in the capital, Nairobi, on Friday. KCB will complete an assessment of Chase Bank Kenya Ltd., the failed lender that it is helping to reopen branches and…

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Kenya’s Benchmark Stock Index Poised for Gains on Golden Cross

Kenya’s Benchmark Stock Index Poised for Gains on Golden Cross

NAIROBI, Kenya, Capital Market in Africa — Kenya’s benchmark equity index is set to extend gains as falling yields on government debt prompt investors to seek better returns in stocks. The 50-day moving average for the Nairobi Security Exchange All Share Index climbed above the 200-day moving average this week for the first time since 2012, a so-called golden cross that signals to some traders that further gains are in store. Yields on government 164-day paper have…

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Ghana’s Largest IPO at Risk as Government Drags Its Feet

Ghana’s Largest IPO at Risk as Government Drags Its Feet

ACCRA, Ghana, Capital Markets in Africa — The largest initial public offering in Ghana’s history is at risk of falling apart after Agricultural Development Bank Ltd. missed a deadline to submit results of the sale to the nation’s regulator. The lender is waiting for its owners — the Bank of Ghana and the Ministry of Finance — to sign off on the outcome of the IPO, Solomon Atefoe, a spokesman for the Accra-based bank, said Friday in a…

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Emerging Currencies Gain Third Month Led by Ruble on Oil Rebound

Emerging Currencies Gain Third Month Led by Ruble on Oil Rebound

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa — Russia’s ruble and the South African rand rallied, leading emerging-market currencies toward a third month of gains, as an advance in Brent crude towards $50 a barrel boosted the outlook for energy producers. The MSCI Emerging Markets Currency Index rose to a nine-month high on Friday following a 0.8 percent advance in April. The ruble extended the best start to a year on record as Russia’s central bank left borrowing costs…

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Nigeria | Unilever Nigeria Plc FY 2015 and Q1 2015 Earnings Update

Nigeria | Unilever Nigeria Plc FY 2015 and Q1 2015 Earnings Update

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa — Unilever Nigeria Plc (“Unilever” or the “the Company”) remains one of the largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Companies in Nigeria, with products, ranging from Knorr in the food stratum to Close up in the personal care division, which have more or less become household names. The Company remains the oldest surviving manufacturing organization in Nigeria. The company released its FY:2015 result in which turnover grew modestly by…

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Central Bank of Egypt Keeps Policy Rate Unchanged at 10.75% in April

Central Bank of Egypt Keeps Policy Rate Unchanged at 10.75% in April

CAIRO, Egypt, Capital Markets in Africa — In its meeting held on April 28, 2016, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to keep the overnight deposit rate, overnight lending rate, and the rate of the Central Bank of Egypt’s (CBE) main operation unchanged at 10.75 percent, 11.75 percent, and 11.25 percent, respectively. The discount rate was also kept unchanged at 11.25 percent. Annual headline CPI remained at around 9 percent in February and March 2016,…

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