Friday, June 29, 2012 / The Analyst / Proshare Research
 

Companies in the NEWS Today – Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, RT Briscoe Nigeria Plc, NPF Microfinance Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Ashaka Cement Plc and First Bank of Nigeria Plc  

HONEYWELL Nigeria Plc Superfine Foods Limited has pledged to invest more in developing and promoting youth initiatives, noting that the future of every country is dependent on the development of the younger generation. The company made the pledge when it hosted the Lagos State One-Day Governor, Miss Lilian Ogbuefi, winner of the 2012 Spelling Bee competition, which automatically qualifies her to act as the “One Day Governor.”

The stock share price closed 2008 and 2009 flat. It recorded -40% losses in 2010 while it further went down by -54.71% in 2011. So far in 2012, it has recorded -9.09% losses with the firm witnessing positive growths in its Q3 ’11 financials. The youth initiatives can just be regarded as a CSR and such might not have a direct influence on the company’s share price.

R.T. Briscoe Nigeria Plc, yesterday, approved 10 kobo dividend and a bonus of one for every five shares. The shareholders, who attended the 2011 yearly general meeting held in Lagos yesterday, also commended the board and management for the result, despite various challenges. The turnover and profit after tax of the company increased by 30 per cent and 42 per cent respectively in 2011 from N15.1 billion and N40.3 million in 2010 to N19.6 billion and N215.9 million in 2011.

The Automobile company share price went down by -79.51% in 2008 and a whopping -164.23% losses were also recorded in 2009. The situations remained similar in 2010 and 2011 as further losses were recorded, going down by -112.07% and -137.70% respectively. However, 2012 saw an improved situation with +39.30% gains recorded so far. The Q1 ’12 financials

NPF Micro-Finance Bank (MFB) Plchas earned the commendation of its shareholders over its increased lending to the real sector. While the bank’s total client base has grown to 80,484, the number of active borrowers at the end of 2011 stands currently at 20,018 resulting in an active loan portfolio of N3.94 billion and representing a growth of 36 per cent from year 2010 figure of N2.892 billion. Shareholders at a forum with the management of the MFB commended the drive at providing credit facilities, urged the bank to ensure that a well thought out plan on loan recovery is instituted as well as scale up efforts on branch network expansion.

The financial outfit recorded unchanged movement in price in 2008 and 2009 while the stock recorded +18.67% gains in 2010. It went down by -37.08% in 2011 as the stock has recorded -6.25% price decline in 2012. It recorded positive growths in its Q1 ’12 financials with turnover recording +6.9% and also moved up by +41.89%.

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc’s five-year benchmark Eurobond offer, issued in 2011, has been adjudged the best financial institution bond for Nigeria by EMEA Finance, United Kingdom for the year 2011. A statement by the bank on Thursday said the US$500m GTBank Eurobond was adjudged as the largest offer by any Nigerian corporate organisation to international investors.




GTBank share price closed 2008 with -62.75% losses. The stock witnessed an improved performance in 2009 with +20.16% gains recorded and another +14.58% gains were also recorded in 2010. It resumed downtrend in 2011 as it closed the year with -19.76% loss while +4.56% YTD gains has been recorded so far in 2012. 

United Bank for Africa Plc has reduced charges associated with Automated Teller Machine cards, significantly lowering the cost of transactions, particularly for its Verve debit card customers. A statement by the bank on Thursday said UBA had introduced a pay-as-you-go charge structure instead of the monthly charge of N100, which was a flat fee charged to all ATM card holders. By implications, a customer will not be charged the N100 flat fee any month the customer does not withdraw cash at the ATM.

The Africa’s Global Bank share price closed negative throughout all the periods of review as it records -73.43%, -17.87%, -15.28% and -71.69% in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively. In 2012 so far, it has witnessed an improved performance with +41.70% price appreciations witnessed.

Ashaka Cement Plc has recorded a gross turnover of N20.7bn in its 2011 fiscal year, up from N19.1bn in 2010. The Chairman, of the company, Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga, speaking at the 37th Annual General Meeting of the company in Gombe on Thursday told shareholders that in spite of the persistent challenges in the economy and the attendant eroding effects of purchasing power, which made 2011 so difficult, the company still improved.

The cement producing firm recorded -67.98% and -32.10% losses in 2008 and 2009. The loss was erased in 2010 with +129.52% gains recorded while 2011 witnessed -57.37% loss. The 2012 performance of the stock has not been impressive with -17.08% loss recorded so far.

First Bank Nigeria (FBN) Plc has continued to invest intensively in Information Technology (IT) as a catalyst for the effectiveness of e-transactions being made possible in Nigeria through the bank’s platforms. FBN recently provided insights into its collection of products, which are fundamentally electronic – FirstPay; FirstPayLink; FirstOnline; FirstMobile; FirstInstant and the varying categories of FirstCards. The Head Marketing & Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney enlightening Journalists on the drive for the banks assortment of products stated that First Bank, a hospitable company has designed its products to suit the lifestyle of every Nigerians.

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. The recent investment in information technology will improve the firm’s revenue base as it will their processes more flexible.
 

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