Friday, June 15, 2012 / The Analyst / Proshare Research

Companies in the NEWS Today –  Julius Berger Plc, First Bank, Access Bank Plc, Niger Insurance Plc and NB Plc 

First Bank of Nigeria Plc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Association of Small Scale Industrialists to support small- scale enterprises. The Group Managing Director, First Bank, Mr. Bisi Onasanya, the MoU is in furtherance of the bank’s support for SMEs, and it is meant to promote the growth and development of SME industries and industrialists in Nigeria.



 

The bank’s stock closed negative throughout  the periods of review as it records -52.77%, -33.44%, -2.28% and -35.18% in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 while it has recorded positive YTD performance of +18.09% in 2012 so far. The company recorded positive growths in gross earnings and PAT in its Q1 2012 financials.

Nigerian Breweries Plc has relaunched Goldberg Premium Lager beer, its old time product. In a bid to sustain its leadership position and expansion trend, “A lot of consumers who desire high quality premium lager beer but cannot afford the likes of Heineken, Star or Gulder lager beer now have Goldberg, a premium beer”, the Marketing Director, walter Drenth has stated.

The Blue Chips stock recorded -16.63% declines in 2008 while the loss was erased in 2009 with +29.79% gains recorded. It went up further by +45.42% and +22.46% in 2010 and 2011 respectively with +5.91% YTD gains witnessed so far in 2012. The relaunched of Goldberg Premium Lager beer will surely increase the product line and revenue of the firm.


 
Julius Berger Nigeria, German construction giant, Bilfinger Berger, has outlined plans to sell 90 percent of its investment in its Nigerian business, Julius Berger International (JBI) to Julius Berger Nigeria (JBN) – an affiliated business – by the end of 2012.

The construction firm share price recorded -34.30% and -53.62% in 2008 and 2009 while the loss was completely erased in 2010 with +93.87% gains recorded. The stock resumed downtrend in 2011 with -36.80% loss witnessed while -7.97% YTD loss has been recorded so far in 2012. The plan by Julius Berger International to sell larger parts of its investment in the company will only awaken investor to keep an eye on the company afterwards. 

Access Bank Plc’s CEO, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, who emerged winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 Award in Nigeria and the West African sub-region, has been admitted into the award organizers’ Hall of Fame at a grand event which held in Monte Carlo, Monaco, Friday. Aig-Imoukhuede, was one of the three African finalists at the Monaco event.

The bank witnessed -69.26% loss in 2008. It resumed uptrend in 2009 with +7.50% gains while another +25% gain was also recorded in 2010. However, it lost -49.47% in 2011 and with an improvement in 2012, the stock has +27.71% YTD gain.

Niger Insurance Plc is bracing up for what it calls the new phase of performance planned to coincide with its 50^th anniversary in August. CEO, Justus Uranta is quoted to have said “Niger Insurance plans to organise a befitting golden jubilee celebration in August this year, having weathered the storm successfully in the difficult business environment prevailing in Nigeria in the last 50 years.”

The insurance stock closed negative throughout the 2008 to 2011 review periods. The performance of the stock in 2012 has been static as it closed flat while the share price is currently trading at its nominal value of 50k.  The firm in its Q3 2011 latest available financials recorded positive growth in gross premium and PAT.

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