Rising dollar debts still a worry for Africa
Businessam Staff
May 19, 2017
*Govts advised to embrace local currency liabilities… Despite having a chunk of their dollar denominated debts written off in 2005, most African governments are still neck deep in foreign currency debts, which have been estimated to be rising to the $500 billion mark, according to Reuters. Analysts are worried that over a decade later, most […]
Global shares, dollar lick wounds as Trump rout eases
Businessam StaffMay 19, 2017
The dollar limped toward its worst week since August on Friday and world stocks headed for their first weekly fall in five, as storms surrounding Donald Trump’s U.S. presidency and Latin America’s biggest economy, Brazil, began to calm. The most eventful week of 2017 for markets started with stocks at record high but then saw […]
Markets Wrap: Stocks steady after volatile week; crude rises
Businessam StaffMay 19, 2017
Global equities showed signs of stabilizing at the end of a turbulent week in which investors confronted political crises in Washington and Brazil. Oil headed for a second weekly gain as OPEC members supported Saudi Arabian and Russian pledges to extend supply cuts. Stocks in Europe gained, paring their worst week since November. Gold resumed gains […]
Nigeria Central Bank clears 36 items for access to official forex
Businessam StaffMay 18, 2017
Nigeria’s central bank has given further clarity to 36 items that are eligible to access foreign exchange at the official window of the country’s much watched currency markets. The CBN, in a communication to authorised market dealers signed by Woritka Dauda Gotring, its director of trade and exchange, said importers were now free to source […]
World’s 500 richest people lose $35 billion from Trump turmoil, Mark Zuckerberg hardest hit
Businessam StaffMay 18, 2017
The world’s richest people lost $35 billion Wednesday when global equity markets were rocked by political turmoil in the U.S., according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Bill Gates, the world’s richest person with $86.8 billion, lost $1 billion as shares of Microsoft Corp., his largest holding, tumbled 2.8 percent, the most in almost a year. […]
MTN in fresh trouble, fined $8.5m over breach of license
Businessam StaffMay 18, 2017
Rwanda’s telecom industry regulator has fined MTN Rwanda, a division of South Africa’s MTN Group, 7 billion francs (8.5 million dollars) for running its IT services outside the country in breach of its license. The regulator said in a ruling posted on its website in Kigali that MTN Rwanda was hosting its IT services hub […]
High food prices persist despite decline in core inflation in April
Businessam StaffMay 17, 2017
The food component of the consumer price index (CPI) released by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) inched up 0.86% in April. This was despite a marginal decline of 0.6% in core inflation for the period. Core inflation excludes transitory or temporary price volatility as in the case of some commodities such as food items […]
Nigerian banks see stability returning
Businessam StaffMay 16, 2017
* Target manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure… Nigerian banks are uptick that the economy is past the worst of what most described as “the most severe downturn in 25 years”, according to Renaissance Capital’s findings from its 8th annual Pan-Africa Investors conference, which held in Lagos recently. According to the research firm, the return of stability in […]
“If you’re hit by cyberattack, don’t pay the ransom,” Europolice warn
Businessam StaffMay 15, 2017
European authorities have warned everyone hit by the worldwide cyberattack never to consider paying the ransom. The attack has hit at least 150 countries since Friday and infected 200,000 machines, according to the European law enforcement agency Europol. The WannaCry worm locks users out of their computers and demands that victims pay hundreds of dollars […]
Oil rises after Saudis, Russia agree supply cut to be extended
Businessam StaffMay 15, 2017
Oil prices jumped 1.5 percent on Monday after the energy ministers of the world’s two biggest producers Saudi Arabia and Russia jointly said that a crude production cut would be extended from the middle of this year until March 2018. Brent crude was at $51.58 per barrel at 0621 GMT, up 74 cents, or 1.46 […]