Business
Listings Improves Share Index On Stock Market
For the outgoing 2009, many listings, where additional shares were added to existing shares, were done on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange under different names and categories. These included supplementary listings, which included bonuses, public offerings and right issues, irredeemable preference shares of Intercontinental Bank Plc, irredeemable non-cumulative convertible debenture stocks of Crusader Plc, placements, and introduction.
Though in all, the new companies that joined the exchange were essentially through listing by introduction, in all, 12 new companies joined the league of quoted companies. They are IHS Plc, Pinnacle point Plc, Courteville Plc, MTECH Communications Plc, Beco Petroleum Plc, Honeywell Flour Plc, Resort savings & Loans Plc, and GT Assurance Plc.
The volume of shares listed by these companies ranged from 400 million shares of Portland paints to 16.7 billion shares of African Alliance. Shares admitted for the year cut across many of the subsector of the exchange, with information and communication with the highest number of three equities. A summary of the value against volume showed that the exchange was boosted with over N271 billion. Honey well pulled the highest capitalization with N67 billion, African Alliance Insurance Pulled N58 billion while GT Assurance pulled N30 billion of that total value.
When the 2008 listing is compared with 2009, the pervious year had nine more equities. In 2008, many high capitalized equities like Dangote Flour Mills Plc, Star-comms Plc, Daar Communications, among others joined the league of quoted companies as against those that joined this year. The bearish run in the market, which had formed a bad trend of share prille depreciation for newly listed shares, prevented many companies that had promised investors that they would list their shares this year in their private placement documents from doing so.
Speaking on the new listings, the Managing Director, DBSS securities Limited, Mr Emmanuel Etc, said having more companies to come and list their shares on the exchange gives symbiosis benefits for both the company and the exchange. According to Eze, the exchange becomes deepened with more shares being listed and the companies themselves have enhanced status to do business globally because of their public quoting status.
Once a company becomes quoted, it enhances the value, born at home and abroad they will not want to have anything to do with companies here if they are not quoted, so, it enhances their status. It enhances the value of original shares they have before, because now their shares are not traded.
So, once their shares are on the exchange they becomes subject to market forces, and when the market forces set in the share that is at par value begins to increase to N2, N4 and so on.” On that benefits to the market, Eze said”, . One of the problems of the stock market today is still volume. The market is still shallow. So, the more companies that come the deeper the market becomes. This is to the benefit of the exchange and others stakeholders.
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.