The Markets | - Part 180

Standard Bank’s First-Half Profit Rises 14% as Impairments Drop

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Standard Bank Group Ltd., Africa’s largest lender by assets, said first-half profit rose 14 percent after impairments dropped and costs were contained. Net income climbed to 12.3 billion rand ($937 million) from 10.8 billion rand a year earlier, the Johannesburg-based lender said in a statement on Thursday. Earnings per share excluding one-time items, known locally as headline earnings, advanced 11 percent to 7.56 rand beating the 7.44 rand median estimate of…

Kenya Pulls Back From Brink as Vote Dispute Heads for Court

Posted on by The Editorial Team

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Kenya pulled back from the brink of a violent electoral dispute after the main opposition buckled to international pressure and agreed to contest the outcome in court. The country has been on a knife-edge since President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner of an Aug. 8 vote that his main rival, Raila Odinga, said was stolen. There have been clashes between security forces and opposition supporters in slums in Nairobi, the capital,…

Africa’s Biggest Copper Mine Hit by Zambian Power Restrictions

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LUSAKA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Zambia is cutting power to mines including Africa’s biggest copper site, the Kansanshi pit owned by First Quantum Minerals Ltd., escalating a fight over tariffs. “They have still got some significant amount of power for them to operate, but obviously their operations will not be at 100 percent because of the power restrictions,” Energy Minister David Mabumba told reporters Tuesday in Lusaka, the capital. Glencore Plc has said it halted production…

Bitcoin Surges Past $4,000 as Speed Breakthrough to Fuel Spread

Posted on by The Editorial Team

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Bitcoin soared past $4,000 for the first time on growing optimism faster transaction times will hasten the spread of the cryptocurrency. The largest digital tender jumped to a peak of $4,298 Monday, a gain of nearly 20 percent since Friday, after a plan to quicken trade execution by moving some data off the main network was activated last week. The solution — termed SegWit2x — had been so contentious that…

With No ‘JPMorgan of Bitcoin,’ Exchanges Struggle to Win Trades

Posted on by The Editorial Team

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Bitcoin needs “Downtown” Josh Brown more than he needs bitcoin. Brown, the chief executive officer of Ritholtz Wealth Management and author of a popular finance blog, has long been sceptical of the digital currency. He finally bought some, he said, “because the goddamn thing won’t go away.” Bobby Lee, BTCC co-founder and chief executive officer, discusses the outlook for cryptocurrencies. Still, Brown, who helps manage half a billion dollars, isn’t really a convert…

Old Mutual First-Half Profit Climbs as Insurer’s Split Looms

Posted on by The Editorial Team

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Old Mutual Plc, the London insurer planning to split into four separate businesses, said first-half profit almost doubled after it reduced debt and sold shares in its U.S. asset management unit. Pre-tax adjusted operating profit rose 37 percent and net income climbed to 531 million pounds ($689 million) from 284 million pounds a year earlier, the London-based insurer said in a statement on Friday. Diluted basic earnings per ordinary share increased…

Investors Too Busy Cheering Kenyatta to Fret About Vote Spat

Posted on by The Editorial Team

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Euphoria over a President Uhuru Kenyatta win, even if the election results are preliminary, boosted the nation’s stocks by the most in Africa and sent Kenya’s dollar bonds higher. The FTSE NSE Kenya 25 Index of stocks advanced as much as 2.7 percent to the highest level in two years. The yield on the nation’s Eurobonds due 2024 fell the most since March and the shilling was little changed. With ballots from more than 97…

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