The Markets

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Billions of dollars in cash is at risk of being trapped, stock funds have plunged, and capital controls are choking off money flows. Russia has all the hallmarks of an uninvestable market for global investors. Russia-focused equity funds have tumbled 23% on average in the past week, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Bonds have plummeted as default risks intensified, and trading the ruble has become a Herculean task with brokers stepping back…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – There are few things scarier for investors than a bear market — unless you’re involved in crypto, in which case a winter is worse.  The chilling term refers to a sharp slump, followed by a drop-off in trading and months of market doldrums — a phenomenon that memorably befell the crypto market in 2018. Bitcoin’s price plunged by more than 80% to as low as $3,100 from the end…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria’s government will propose that lawmakers approve shelving plans to eliminate expensive gasoline subsidies by 18 months. The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is seeking to revise a law passed in August that provided for the full deregulation of fuel prices within six months, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva told reporters Tuesday. The decision to defer the politically thorny reform comes with presidential and legislative elections…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Forecasting inflation is a staple of macroeconomic modeling, yet virtually all economists’ predictions for the United States in 2021 were way off the mark. This dismal performance reflected a collective failure to take economic models seriously enough, as well as other analytical shortcomings. In 2008, as the global financial crisis was ravaging economies everywhere, Queen Elizabeth II, visiting the London School of Economics, famously asked, “Why did nobody see it…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria’s market regulator is introducing a new rule that will expand the reach of authorities in monitoring financial links with suspected terrorist groups. A circular issued this month by the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission directs capital market players “to screen and verify every client” before onboarding them and when carrying out one-off transactions. Operators will need to ensure that clients aren’t associated with any group designated a terrorist…

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – A group of Bitcoin investors are pushing for criminal charges against individuals who run a cryptocurrency platform in South Africa suspected to have been fraudulent, in a case that might prove challenging to prosecute. The investors are seeking the arrest of brothers Raees and Ameer Cajee, age 21 and 18, who operated the company, but haven’t been seen publicly since the scandal broke. That’s even after a mystery benefactor…

NEW YORK (Capital Markets in Africa) – Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., said on Twitter that he’ll pay more than $11 billion in taxes this year, an amount that could constitute a record payment to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. For those wondering, I will pay over $11 billion in taxes this year The billionaire may face a tax bill of more than $10 billion for 2021 if he…