Banking | - Part 75

This Is What Africa’s Central Banks Are Debating This Month

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Central banks in five major sub-Saharan African economies are scheduled to announce their interest-rate decisions in the next three weeks, including Nigeria if lawmakers get around to approving Monetary Policy Committee nominees. Slower inflation and more stable exchange rates have built a case for looser monetary policy in Kenya, Ghana, South Africa and Nigeria. Economic growth near 1 percent in South Africa and Nigeria, which make up half of…

Profit Estimates Jump to Record for EM Banks as Scandals Ignored

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – A $2 billion corruption scandal is rocking India’s banks. Russia has taken over some of its biggest private lenders, while Latvia’s No. 3 bank has been shut down amid U.S. money-laundering accusations. Added to that, Turkish financiers are under attack from Erdoganomics and warning signs are flashing for a Chinese bank crisis. Then, why have earnings estimates for developing-nation banks jumped to a record? Analysts have increased their weighted…

Nigeria MPC Meeting Delayed by Up to 10 Days, Emefiele Says

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting will be delayed by between a week and 10 days, central bank Governor Godwin Emefiele said. The postponement is to allow the Senate time to screen and approve nominees to the MPC, Emefiele said in an interview broadcast on CNBC Africa on Thursday. The meeting will take place “by latest, the first week of April,” he said. Senate lawmakers on March 13 finally agreed to start…

Ghana President Tells Lenders to Reduce Their Interest Rates

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ACCRA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo said the country’s banks should cut their lending rates for clients. Lenders are failing to pass on lower rates from the central bank and are standing in the way of economic progress, Akufo-Addo said Wednesday in an emailed copy of a speech he delivered at the Ghanaian unit of Ecobank Transnational Inc. in Accra, the capital. While the Bank of Ghana has reduced its key rate by 550…

Standard Bank Lifts Targets as Sees South African Economy Improving

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Standard Bank Group Ltd., Africa’s largest lender by assets, said it expects its return on equity to rise as South Africa’s economy improves. “The positive steps taken already by the ruling party subsequent to its leadership conference will improve business and consumer confidence,” the Johannesburg-based bank said in a statement on Thursday. The return on equity target range has been increased to as much as 20 percent from an earlier…

Tunisia Can’t Defend the Dinar, Central Bank Governor Says

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TUNIS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Tunisia can’t defend its currency “even if it wanted to,” and must instead focus on narrowing its trade deficit to revive the economy, according to central bank Governor Marouane El Abassi. El Abassi, in his first news conference since being appointed last month, said the central bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 75 basis points this week to curb inflation, which he said risked becoming “uncontrollable.” The dinar has weakened…

IMF Urges Nigeria to Keep Tight Monetary Policy, Curb Inflation

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – The Central Bank of Nigeria should maintain its tight monetary-policy stance and consider raising interest rates to help anchor price expectations, the International Monetary Fund said. Increasing the monetary policy rate from 14 percent to exceed price growth, which stood at 15.1 percent in January, “would more transparently reflect CBN intentions, help anchor inflation expectations, and signal forward-looking policy,” the Washington-based lender said in a report release Wednesday after an Article IV consultation. Governor Godwin…

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