The Markets | - Part 222

Egypt to Receive First Tranche of $1.5 Billion Saudi Loan ‘Soon’

CAIRO, Egypt, Capital Markets in Africa: Egypt will “soon” receive the first tranche of a $1.5 billion loan from Saudi Arabia, an Egyptian minister said, a cash injection that could help to ease a dollar shortage that has weighed on economic growth. The first payment will be about $500 million, Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation Sahar Nasr said. The loan is one of a package of agreements worth $25 billion signed during Saudi King Salman’s visit to Cairo in April, which…

MTN Sinks as Nigeria Fine, Currency to Cause First-Half Loss

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LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: MTN Group Ltd. fell in Johannesburg trading as Africa’s largest mobile-phone company said it expects to report a first-half loss after agreeing to pay a record fine in Nigeria. The shares dropped 2.5 percent to 138.13 rand by 11:25 a.m., after earlier slumping as much as 3.8 percent, the most in three weeks on a closing basis. The 330 billion naira ($1.18 billion) settlement in Nigeria, announced in June, will reduce earnings per…

Nigeria | Naira Forwards, Volatility Surge as Nigeria Removes Spread Limit

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LAGOS, Capital Markets in Africa: Naira forwards rose to record highs and volatility surged after the Central Bank of Nigeria removed a limit on bid-offer spreads in the foreign-exchange market, raising expectations the currency is set to extend declines as it trades more freely. Three-month non-deliverable forward contracts jumped 4.1 percent to a record329 per dollar by 4:41 p.m. in Lagos, while contracts maturing in a year rose 3.3 percent to 363, also the highest level…

Zimbabwe Misses Own Deadline to Repay $1.8 Billion; Pays None

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Harare, Capital Markets in Africa, Zimbabwe failed to repay $1.8 billion to the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and African Development Bank by its own June 30 deadline. “Right now, we’ve not paid anything,” John Mangudya, Zimbabwe’s central bank governor, said by phone from the capital, Harare, on Thursday. “That is why we have this re-engagement process with international financial institutions. This is all part of re-engagement and confidence building measures.” Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said earlier…

Ghana Companies Sell Shares at Record Rate Amid Debt Squeeze

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ACCRA, Ghana, Capital Markets in Africa: Ghanaian companies needing cash are caught in a dilemma. Faced with borrowing costs at a 13-year high, companies including the local unit of Diageo Plc and Ghana Oil Co. are turning to the stock market to raise record amounts of capital as they try to reduce debt. They could hardly have chosen a worse time. The West African nation’s benchmark stock index is in a bear market, having fallen to a three-year low as a plunge…

South Africa’s Rand Leads Emerging-Market Gains Against Dollar on Stimulus Bets

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South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: South Africa’s rand strengthened to a 11-week high against the dollar as prospects for stimulus in major economies boosted demand for riskier assets. The currency weakened against the pound as an expected immediate U.K. rate cut failed to materialize. The currency jumped 1.7 percent to 14.2423 against the dollar by 1:58 p.m. in Johannesburg, set for the strongest close since April 29 and leading gains among 24 emerging-market currencies tracked by Bloomberg….

Uganda’s Second Stock Exchange Opens, Seeks 10 Million Accounts

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Kampala, Uganda, Capital Markets in Africa: Uganda’s second stock exchange started operating Wednesday, more than two years after winning approval, and said it seeks to win 10 million customers within five years. ALTX East Africa Limited, a unit of Mauritius-founded ALTX Africa Group, will run with fully automated systems enabling it to handle 150,000 transactions a second and provide settlement within 15 minutes, Chief Executive Officer Joseph Kitamirike told reporters in the capital, Kampala. The exchange’s first…

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