Banking | - Part 94

StanChart Said to Revamp Investment Banking to Boost Revenue

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Standard Chartered Plc has revamped its investment banking division in a push to boost income from existing clients, as the Asia-focused lender attempts to restore revenue growth after years of missing targets, two people familiar with the move said. Paul Skelton, who heads global banking, has divided his unit into five industry segments and five regions to simplify and improve relationships with clients, said the people, who asked not to…

Tanzania central bank slashes its discount rate to 12 pct

Posted on by The Editorial Team

DAR ES SALAAM (Capital Markets in Africa) – Tanzania’s central bank cut its discount rate to 12 percent from 16 percent to help spur lending and boost economic growth, the first time it has lowered borrowing costs since 2013. The cut, which the central bank said in a circular to commercial banks seen by Reuters becomes effective on Monday, follows a steep drop in private sector credit growth last year. “The discount rate which is applicable…

Botswana keeps lending rate unchanged at 5.5%, sees low and stable inflation

Posted on by The Editorial Team

GABORONE (Capital Markets in Africa) – Botswana’s central bank maintained its benchmark Bank Rate at 5.50 percent and forecast low and stable inflation in the medium term, consistent with the 3-6 percent target range, that augurs well for accommodative monetary policy that can support lending to businesses and households. Bank Botswana (BB), which cut its rate by 50 basis points in August 2016, also said it aimed for a 0.26 percent upward rate of crawl…

South Africa’s Nedbank slashes value of Ecobank stake

Posted on by The Editorial Team

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s Nedbank booked a $293 million write-down on the value of its stake in sub-Saharan lender Ecobank on Tuesday and reported its slowest growth in annual profit since 2009. Ecobank Transnational Inc’s operations in central and west Africa are exposed to some economies that have been pressured by the commodity price slide and unfavourable currency swings since Nedbank bought a 20 percent stake for $500 million in 2014….

Nigeria tests waters for possible broad naira devaluation

Posted on by The Editorial Team

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…

Nigerian Central Bank Issues New Policy Actions in the Foreign Exchange Market

Posted on by The Editorial Team

ABUJA (Capital Markets in Africa) – In continuation of efforts to increase the availability of Foreign Exchange in order to ease the difficulties encountered by Nigerians in obtaining funds for Foreign Exchange transactions, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is providing direct additional funding to banks to meet the needs of Nigerians for Personal and Business Travel, Medical needs, and School fees, effective immediately. The CBN expects such retail transactions to be settled at a…

Bank of Mauritius keeps the Key Repo Rate unchanged at 4%

Posted on by The Editorial Team

PORT LOUIS (Capital Markets in Africa) – The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of Mauritius unanimously decided to keep the Key Repo Rate unchanged at 4.00 per cent per annum at its meeting today. Growth in major advanced economies is likely to strengthen in 2017. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook Update released in January 2017 projects world growth to increase from 3.1 per cent in 2016 to 3.4 per cent in 2017 and…

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