The Markets

NEW YORK (Capital Markets in Africa) – As currency-trading heads from investment firms and banks convene in Miami this week, a few themes may dominate: The potential for new technology to lower costs, the impact of the coronavirus and U.S. elections. In a sign of the changing landscape as the TradeTech FX conference kicks off, a pre-summit survey showed investors view trading with liquidity providers other than banks as a key goal. Meanwhile, companies that…

NEW YORK (Capital Markets in Africa) – U.S. equity-index futures gained along with European stocks on Wednesday and crude oil rallied amid signs the spread of the coronavirus in China is slowing and investor optimism the global economy can weather the storm. Treasury yields edged higher. Contracts on all three major American gauges pointed to a firm open after China’s Hubei province reported the lowest number of new virus cases this month and suspected infections on the…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – More jumbo bond sellers in Europe may include sterling tranches as a Brexit-fueled decline in borrowing costs bolsters the appeal of a diversified investor base. Siemens AG is marketing a benchmark five-year pound bond on Tuesday, together with a four-part euro benchmark offering. LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE and Comcast Corp. also sold pound notes alongside euro tranches last week, following a decline in sterling bond yields caused by expectations for an interest-rate cut. On…

BENIN (Capital Markets in Africa) – Benin is considering to again sell euro-denominated bonds in 2020 as the West African nation seeks to benefit from strong demand for the continent’s high-yielding foreign-currency debt, according to people familiar with the matter. The $10-billion economy, which sold a debut offshore bond of 500 million euros ($548 million) in March, will probably sell a bigger amount of debt in an issuance that would probably take place in the second…

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa)- The Nigerian Stock Exchange is urging stockbrokers to buy dormant licenses or combine with other operators rather than apply for new ones as the bourse prepares to go public. Members of the exchange will vote on March 3 to convert from a member-owned mutual organization into a public limited-liability company. The exchange, which has 252 dealing members as well as 166 listed equities and 154 bonds, will change its name to Nigerian…

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa)- The rapidly spreading coronavirus has wreaked havoc across much of the developed world, yet not a single case has been confirmed so far in Africa — the continent that’s least equipped to deal with the epidemic. Health officials are still bracing themselves for the worst. Two-way travel between Africa and China, the epicenter of the respiratory illness that’s infected more than 31,000 people since late December, has surged over recent…

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – Outgoing Bank of England chief Mark Carney is leaving his successor with a mystery to puzzle over. As Andrew Bailey takes over from the Canadian in March, he’ll find officials at the U.K. central bank closely studying why inflation isn’t as strong as labor costs and import prices would suggest it should be. The matter was so perturbing for policymakers at Carney’s final decision that, even after an in-depth discussion, they pledged to…