IFC and Ghana Stock Exchange Establish Partnership to Stimulate Capital Market Investment

IFC and Ghana Stock Exchange Establish Partnership to Stimulate Capital Market Investment

Accra, Ghana, Capital Markets in Africa: IFC, a member of the World Bank Group and the Ghana Stock Exchange today announced a partnership to promote the adoption of sound business practices within the capital market to support business expansion and boost economic growth.  The partnership is one of the many interventions under the Africa Corporate Governance Program intended to improve business performance. It will also help raise awareness of the cross-sectorial reach of activities and…

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Kenya Bourse Eyes Listings Rush as Commercial Lending Rates Soar

Kenya Bourse Eyes Listings Rush as Commercial Lending Rates Soar

NAIROBI, Kenya, Capital Markets in Africa: With commercial lending rates as high as 24 percent, more Kenyan companies are turning to the stock market to raise capital, according to Geoffrey Odundo, chief executive of the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Nairobi Business Ventures Ltd., a maker of leather shoes and accessories, sold shares on the exchange this week, and three other companies are lining up, including Deacons East Africa Plc, a homeware and clothing retailer, Odundo said…

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Kenyan Bank Jamii Bora Seeks Investor as it Considers Listing

Kenyan Bank Jamii Bora Seeks Investor as it Considers Listing

NAIROBI, Kenya, Capital Markets in Africa: Jamii Bora Bank Ltd., a Kenyan micro-lender, has begun the search for a strategic investor to inject 3 billion shillings ($29.6 million) to fund its expansion as it considers listing on the domestic stock market, Chief Executive Officer Sam Kimani said. The bank is courting private-equity investors and other lenders as potential investors, Kimani said June 21 in an interview in the capital, Nairobi. In April, the company raised 1.2 billion…

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Nigerian Naira Gains as Central Bank Ensures Dollar Supplies

Nigerian Naira Gains as Central Bank Ensures Dollar Supplies

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Nigeria’s naira strengthened against the dollar, heading for its first gain since starting to trade without a peg three days ago, as the central bank sought to stabilize the market through the sale of dollars. The naira rose by 1.1 percent to 281.5 per dollar by 1:53 p.m. in Lagos, the commercial capital of Africa’s largest economy, after earlier dropping as much as 0.5 percent. The regulator has intervened in the market by…

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Nigeria’s Naira Pulls Back From Record Low as Stocks Advance

Nigeria’s Naira Pulls Back From Record Low as Stocks Advance

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Nigeria’s naira gained on the second day of trading without a peg after the central bank spent more than $4 billion on Monday to clear pent-up demand for foreign currency. Stocks advanced and dollar-bond yields fell to 10-month lows. The currency of Africa’s biggest economy strengthened 0.7 percent to 280.5 per dollar by 10:44 a.m. in Lagos, the commercial capital, after declining as much as 1.4 percent earlier to a record…

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Oil Halts Gain Near $49 Before U.S. Stockpile Data, Brexit Vote

Oil Halts Gain Near $49 Before U.S. Stockpile Data, Brexit Vote

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Oil halted gains near $49 a barrel as markets awaited weekly U.S. stockpile data, while the U.K. referendum on membership of the European Union remained too close to call. Futures slid as much as 1 percent in New York. U.S. inventories probably fell by 1.5 million barrels last week, keeping them more than 100 million barrels above the five-year average, according to a Bloomberg survey before government data Wednesday. Separate polls showed leads…

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Nigeria’s Naira Slumps as 15-Month Currency Peg Ends in Lagos

Nigeria’s Naira Slumps as 15-Month Currency Peg Ends in Lagos

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Nigeria’s naira weakened 22 percent to 253.50 per dollar after the central bank allowed the currency of Africa’s biggest economy to float freely on Monday. Demand for foreign currency has built up to about $3 billion since capital controls were imposed 15 months ago to defend the currency’s peg of 197-199 per dollar, according to Chapel Hill Denham Securities Ltd. Even as the naira weakens, local stocks may extend the best three-day rally…

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