Morning Biz News – 18 February 2025

Local Market Update
The Namibian stock market saw a total of 337,067 shares traded on 17 February 2025, amounting to N$9.32 million across 20 deals. Year-to-date, total trades have reached 8.5 million shares, valued at N$505.68 million. According to the NSX daily report, Financials, Basic Materials, and Consumer Staples led in value, while Exchange-Traded Products contributed N$12.03 million in trades so far this year.

Rand Weakens Ahead of Budget Speech
South Africa’s rand depreciated by 0.4% on Monday, trading at 18.4275 per U.S. dollar ahead of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s upcoming budget speech. According to Reuters, investors are closely monitoring Wednesday’s presentation, which will outline the government’s spending priorities, revenue collection measures, and updated economic forecasts.

Naira Gains in Parallel Market
Nigeria’s naira has appreciated by N105 year-to-date in the parallel market, reflecting a 6.7% gain over the past month. Business Day Nigeria reports that on Monday, the naira was quoted at N1,560 per U.S. dollar, compared to N1,665 at the beginning of the month, highlighting a strengthening trend in the black market exchange rate.

U.S. Markets Rally on Inflation Data
In the U.S., the S&P 500 hit a record high last week as positive inflation data bolstered expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts. Yahoo Finance reports that the Nasdaq Composite climbed over 2.5%, the S&P 500 gained nearly 1.5%, and the Dow Jones rose by around 0.5%. This market optimism reflects growing investor confidence in potential monetary policy easing.

Latest Financial Indicators

• Namibia Dollar: N$18.42/USD, N$19.31/EUR, N$23.26/GBP
• Gold: $2,897.93 per fine ounce
• Brent Crude: $74.74 per barrel
• Bitcoin: $1,773,909.50

Stay tuned for more financial updates.