The Markets

LONDON (Capital Markets in AfricaA) – Brexit continues to take a toll on the U.K., with new figures Thursday showing a fall in business confidence and continued weakness in the property market. House price-growth remained tepid in February, with values rising just 0.4 percent from a year earlier, according to Nationwide Building Society. A separate report from Lloyds showed optimism among firms at a seven-year low, while GfK said consumer confidence is still close to the weakest…

ACCRA (Capital Markets in Africa) – The world’s two biggest cocoa producers are considering setting a minimum price for their beans in a bid to derive more value from growing the chocolate ingredient, according to two people familiar with the matter. The industry regulators of Ivory Coast and neighboring Ghana are in talks to study a price that will fall in a range of 1,700 pounds ($2,255) to 2,000 pounds per metric ton on a free-on-board basis,…

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – The South African National Roads Agency Ltd. will lift a self-imposed moratorium on accessing the bond market but will first approach private investors for funds, its chief executive officer said. The state-owned company known as Sanral hasn’t issued any public debt since 2016, after revenue collapsed amid a boycott of electronic tolls, colloquially referred to as e-tolls. The company said it’s reluctant to tap the market until a government…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa)  – A meeting between Libya’s top oil executive and prime minister in Abu Dhabi ended without a clear agreement on when to restart the country’s biggest oil field. Tripoli-based Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj’s office said in a statement that an agreement was reached that could end the halt. Mustafa Sanalla, chairman of Libya’s National Oil Corp., reiterated his position that “force majeure” can’t be lifted until all militants leave the deposit….

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Shoprite Holdings Ltd. is in talks with billionaire Chairman Christo Wiese about giving up his extra voting rights in Africa’s biggest grocer, a move that would simplify the share structure and help to empower smaller investors. Wiese’s Thibault Square Financial Services controls almost a third of the votes at the Cape Town-based company through deferred shares, which carry greater influence than ordinary stock. Shoprite is negotiating to buy or redeem and cancel…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa)  – Nigeria’s benchmark stock index dropped 0.7 percent Tuesday, the most in a week, as election results showed President Muhammadu Buharibuilding a lead over his main opponent and investor favorite Atiku Abubakar. “People are just reacting to Buhari leading the results,” said Olabisi Ayodeji, an analyst at Exotix Capital. “Investors’ preference would have been for an Atiku win, considering that he is perceived to be more market friendly, and also seen as having…

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa)  – Allegations of financial wrongdoing at Africa’s biggest fund manager created a fearful work environment, with employees being disgruntled, suspicious and unproductive, a former board member told an inquiry. Before the claims by an anonymous whistle-blower, South Africa’s Public Investment Corp., which has more than 2 trillion rand ($144 billion) in assets, had been a stable and productive organization with a unified board that could debate professionally at scheduled meetings, Dudu…