Credit Ratings | Fitch Downgrades Nigeria to ‘B+’; Outlook Stable

Credit Ratings | Fitch Downgrades Nigeria to ‘B+’; Outlook Stable

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Fitch Ratings-Hong Kong-23 June 2016: Fitch Ratings has downgraded Nigeria’s Long-term foreign currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘B+’ from ‘BB-‘ and Long-term local currency IDR to ‘BB-‘ from ‘BB’. The Outlooks are Stable. The issue ratings on Nigeria’s senior unsecured foreign-currency bonds have also been downgraded to ‘B+’ from ‘BB-‘. The Country Ceiling has been revised down to ‘B+’ from ‘BB-‘ and the Short-Term Foreign-Currency IDR affirmed at…

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Slowing South Africa CPI Gives SARB More Room to Pause on Rates

Slowing South Africa CPI Gives SARB More Room to Pause on Rates

Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: South African inflation unexpectedly slowed for a third month in May as food-price growth decelerated, giving the Reserve Bank room to keep interest rates unchanged to support an economy at risk of falling into recession. The inflation rate dropped to 6.1 percent from 6.2 percent a month earlier, Pretoria-based Statistics South Africa said on its website on Wednesday. The median of 21 economist estimates compiled by Bloomberg was for an acceleration to 6.4…

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Ghana GDP Growth Rate Climbs in First Quarter as Farming Expands

Ghana GDP Growth Rate Climbs in First Quarter as Farming Expands

ACCRA, Ghana, Capital Markets in Africa: Ghana’s economic growth quickened in the first quarter as farming output and telecommunication services expanded. Gross domestic product in the West African nation rose 4.9 percent from a year earlier compared with a revised 4.1 percent in the fourth quarter, Philomena Nyarko, government statistician at the Ghana Statistical Service, told reporters in the capital, Accra, on Wednesday. The economy grew 1.1 percent from the previous quarter, she said.  Economic growth…

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World Bank Slashes Nigeria and South Africa 2016 Growth Forecast

World Bank Slashes Nigeria and South Africa 2016 Growth Forecast

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: The World Bank cut Nigeria’s economic growth forecast for this year, citing weakness from oil-output disruptions and low prices. The lender, in its semi-annual Global Economic Prospects report, said Africa’s biggest economy is expected to grow 0.8 percent, down from an estimate of 4.6 percent in January. Growth is projected to pick up to 3.5 percent in 2017, it said. Furthermore, forecast South Africa’s economy to expand 1.1% in 2017,…

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South Africa’s Credit-Rating Outlook Kept at Stable by Fitch

South Africa’s Credit-Rating Outlook Kept at Stable by Fitch

Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: Fitch Ratings Ltd. has maintained its outlook on South Africa’s credit rating at stable, giving the country more time to avoid having its debt assessment cut to junk, even as the economy contracted in the first quarter. South Africa’s foreign-currency rating was kept at BBB-, the lowest investment-grade level, Fitch said in a statement Wednesday. The assessment is better than that of S&P Global Ratings, which affirmed its BBB- level with a negative outlook on…

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South Africa Needs Improvement in Next Six Months, S&P Says

South Africa Needs Improvement in Next Six Months, S&P Says

Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: South Africa’s government needs to implement the reforms it promised to boost growth between now and December, S&P Global Ratings sovereign analyst Gardner Rusike said. “We are looking at improvements between now and the next six months,” Johannesburg-based Rusike said on a conference call with reporters on Monday. If the “government moves on to clarify some of the policy areas, it helps on confidence and it helps on investment, which…

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S&P Keeps South African Credit Rating One Level Above Junk

S&P Keeps South African Credit Rating One Level Above Junk

Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in  Africa: South Africa’s credit rating was kept unchanged by S&P Global Ratings, giving the nation a reprieve from a junk assessment, even as it warned it could lower the rating if the economy doesn’t recover. The foreign-currency rating was kept at BBB-, one level above junk, and the local-currency rating was affirmed at BBB+, S&P said in a statement on Friday. The outlook on the rating was kept negative….

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