The Markets

WINDHOEK (Capital Markets in Africa) – Namibia, whose currency is pegged to South Africa’s, diverged from its neighbour’s moves on monetary policy for the first time since 2015 as the country seeks to curb further declines in reserves. The southwest African nation’s Monetary Policy Committee maintained its key interest rate at 6.75 percent Wednesday. Last month, its counterpart in South Africa reduced its key gauge to 6.5 percent, making this the first time since December 2015 that…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) Initial coin offerings have raised billions of dollars for start-ups while attracting criminals and authorities around the globe. Now, the young market may get some help cleaning up from the Big Four consulting firms. In recent months, the largest accounting firms have started — albeit cautiously — offering services specializing in the risky market for ICOs. The fundraising mechanism, where a company creates a new digital currency and sells it…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Is the rise of Bitcoin analogous to the spread of an infectious disease? Analysts at Barclays Plc saw enough similarities to develop a pricing model for the cryptocurrency that takes its cues from the world of epidemiology. Their diagnosis: Bitcoin has probably peaked. The Barclays model divides the pool of potential Bitcoin investors into three groups: susceptible, infected and immune. It assumes that as prices rise, “infections” spread by word-of-mouth (nobody likes missing…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – MTN Group Ltd. expects the listing of its Nigerian unit on the Lagos stock exchange to be done by the end of 2018, its CEO said, after suggesting late last year that the process would be concluded by mid-year. “We are progressing very well with the Nigerian listing and if market conditions are appropriate, we will conclude that by the end of the year,” Rob Shuter said Tuesday in an interview in…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – LafargeHolcim Ltd. sees improving profit margins at its Africa unit this year as Nigerian and South African economies pick up and the company invests the proceeds of a 131 billion naira ($364 million) rights issue. The earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization margin will rise above 35 percent, Lagos, Nigeria-based Lafarge Africa Plc said in a statement Monday. The company is working to reduce energy and transportation costs as…

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Libstar Holdings Pty Ltd., the South African food and household products maker, plans to raise about 1.5 billion rand ($124 million) to repay debt and fund expansion by selling new shares on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Existing shareholders in the Johannesburg-based company, including Abraaj Group Ltd., which holds about 71 percent, will also sell undisclosed stakes, the company said in a statement Monday. “The capital that we raise from the listing…