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LAGOS, Capital Markets in Africa: No one paid much attention to the gnarled, yellow-blossomed rosewood trees dotted around farmsteads in northern Ivory Coast until Chinese-backed buyers started offering money for the timber. Fast forward five years and Ivory Coast is looking back at a tumultuous time in the logging industry, with confusion over permits, illegal harvesting of trees, seizures of trucks, and finally, a blanket ban on rosewood exports in 2014.  “We simply had no idea; for…

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: The African Development Bank, in its latest African economic outlook, forecasts economic growth in Africa to be 3.7% for 2016, almost eight-tenths of a percent lower than its forecast for 2015 (4.5%). This lower forecast is as a result of a mixture of factors: the dip in the price of commodities, the economic slowdown in China, droughts in parts of Eastern and Southern Africa, rising levels of insecurity in…

LAGOS, Capital Markets in Africa: Heineken NV, the world’s third-largest brewer, reported sales growth that missed expectations as demand waned in key regions such as Africa, Russia and the Middle East. Second-quarter beer volumes dipped 5.9 percent on an organic basis across Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, hurt by a weakening environment in Russia and Nigeria where low oil prices and falling currencies are denting growth. Chief Executive Officer Jean-Francois van Boxmeer said cuts to…

Day trading can seem like an impossible struggle for the newcomer. Yet by following a few simple guidelines it very quickly becomes a way of life and a great way to earn money and success.  To the outsider, it all seems very risky, yet with patience and dedication, the process can be very rewarding. In this article, we will give some top tips to traders with financial knowledge looking to start trading independently. These points…