Stock Market Dips to Six Weeks Low on Weak Earnings

• Stock Market Dips to Six Weeks Low on Weak Earnings

The gauge of the Nigerian stock market declined the most in six weeks on Wednesday following disappointing earnings report by big corporations.

The All Share Index of the Nigerian Stock Exchange declined 1.1 percent on Wednesday, the highest single-day drop since June 21. The market capitalisation of listed equities declined from N13.459 trillion on Tuesday to N13.263 trillion on Wednesday.

Dangote Cement Plc, the largest share by market value, dipped by 1.3 percent. While Royal Exchange Plc declined by 10 percent and Nigerian Breweries Plc pulled back by 1.9 percent respectively.

Mr. Olufemi Awoyemi, the Chief Executive of Proshare Nigeria Limited was quoted by Bloomberg as saying that some companies cut their earnings projection following poor first half of the year.

“Some investors want to play safe and are moving to the fixed-income market,” he added.

Also, the rising political tension weighed on decision making. The ruling party, All Progressives Congress, has lost key members, including the Senate president to the opposition part amid series of accusations between its members.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal left the ruling party to join the Peoples Democratic Party, which has ruled the nation for 16 years until a coalition party, APC, defeated them in 2015.

An economist at Vetiva Capital Management Limited, Michael Famoroti, said politics will drive the medium term market performance.

However, he attributed the weak market sentiment to disappointing earnings from Dangote Cement and Nigerian Breweries, the two biggest companies by market capital and account for almost half of the market.