In a bid to revitalize initial public offerings (IPOs) and break a seven-year drought on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), companies seeking listing are now only required to demonstrate profitability once in the last five years. The new regulations, published by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u, mark a significant departure from the previous mandate, which […]

In a significant development for Kenya’s burgeoning online forex trading sector, the government has swiftly instituted a novel regulatory fee affecting all online forex brokers. This measure, effective immediately, is poised to bolster the revenue stream of the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) while fortifying safeguards for currency traders. Under the new regulation, both dealing and […]

In another setback for Kenya’s financial markets, Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) has once again chosen to exclude Kenyan companies from its MSCI Equity Index for frontier markets. This development underscores the deteriorating investment climate in Kenya, marked by factors such as an unpredictable taxation regime, a dollar shortage, a weakening currency, and high fuel […]

AIB-AXYS AFRICA, a leading stock brokerage firm, has introduced an innovative virtual assistant named Wekeza (invest) to provide expert guidance to investors navigating the complexities of capital markets. This cutting-edge tool is poised to redefine conventional investment approaches, offering users a unique and comprehensive experience. Wekeza operates as a financial GPS, adeptly leading users through […]

In a groundbreaking move, the Capital Markets Authority of Kenya (CMA) has granted approval to First Future Holdings Ltd to initiate trials of a revolutionary technology that enables Kenyans to buy and sell shares listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) using SMS. This regulatory green light is poised to democratize stock market investing, fostering […]

In a recent development, Sterling Capital, headquartered in Nairobi, disclosed that Standard Chartered Bank Kenya Ltd has made substantial adjustments to its investment portfolio, particularly reducing its exposure to Kenyan government bonds. This move comes in response to a directive from the bank’s parent company, aiming to mitigate sovereign risk exposure, a decision influenced by […]

In a recent development, Equity Group, a prominent banking institution, has disclosed its anticipation of completing the acquisition of Rwanda’s Compagnie Générale de Banque, widely known as Cogebank, by the end of November. The acquisition, initially announced in June, involves a cash consideration of $48.1 million for a 91.93% stake in Cogebank, with plans to […]

Bond traders at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) are grappling with substantial losses as interest rates persistently climb, marking a challenging trend in the market. Data sourced from the NSE reveals that bonds traded in the secondary market are being discounted by investors, with markdowns reaching as high as 24.4 percent. This has resulted in […]

In a recent survey conducted by South Africa-based investment firm RisCura, Kenyan pension schemes have experienced negative returns in the quarter ending September. The Performance Investment Management Survey reveals that the weighted average return of the surveyed schemes plummeted to negative 3.06 percent, a significant decline from the 0.18 percent return reported in the previous […]

In a strategic move to shield their investments from the volatility of local currencies and the escalating risks posed by political and environmental factors, Kenyan property investors, along with their counterparts across Africa, are increasingly turning their attention to dollar-denominated green projects. The latest findings from the Knight Frank Africa report for the year 2022/2023 […]