The Markets

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nedbank Group Ltd. forecast that interest-earning banking assets will increase at a rate below that of nominal growth in South Africa’s gross domestic product, after earlier predicting it will be in line with the economy’s expansion. The lender’s credit-loss ratio, which rose 6 basis points to 53 basis points, will also increase slightly above the level achieved in 2017 although it will remain below its 60-100 basis-point target range, Johannesburg-based…

MAPUTO (Capital Markets in Africa) – Mozambique might reject a debt proposal from a key group of holders of the southeast African nation’s Eurobonds as the plan excludes two other loans the government wants to restructure, Exotix Capital said. The so-called Global Group of Mozambique’s Bondholders last week presented a counter-proposal to Mozambique that provided nearly $1 billion of cash-flow relief until 2023, when the $727 million Eurobond falls due. The plan would also provide the…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – The temperature’s rising and events this week will help investors figure out how to profit, not get burned. On top of tensions with China, Donald Trump will turn up the heat on Iran as some sanctions snap back into place as a prelude to oil curbs. Get ready for an on-air riposte from counterpart Hassan Rouhani, who plans an address later Monday. These guys have prior on Twitter, so it’ll be a signal of how they…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Miners that can offer a two-for-one supply deal for battery makers — cobalt plus nickel — are aiming to win a bigger slice of the spoils of the global electric vehicle boom. The two metals are often found in the same deposits, creating an opportunity for miners, and a suite of previously overlooked projects, as nickel joins cobalt as an increasingly important battery material. But, the arrangement isn’t without risks, as…