Business
Global shares rally on hopes for U.S. jobs growth
PARIS – Stocks gained ground on Friday to further recover from a steep two-week selloff, buoyed by expectations that a January U.S. jobs report will soothe recent concerns over the pace of global growth.
The euro dipped to a session low against the dollar while German bund futures rose after Germany’s Constitutional Court referred the European Central Bank’s flagship bond-buying program to the European Court.
Europe’s FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index was up 0.2 percent in morning trade in Europe, while MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS climbed 0.9 percent and Tokyo’s Nikkei .N225 added 2.2 percent.
The gains mirrored a rally on Wall Street on Thursday, fuelled by data showing a drop in applications for U.S. unemployment insurance, as well as robust corporate results.
While the data has no direct bearing on January’s employment report, as it falls outside the survey period, it boosted the mood after the recent rout in emerging economies raised fresh concerns about the global growth outlook.
“After what we saw yesterday, we’re going slightly ‘long’ into the data and if the figures are good, we expect a nice short squeeze,” said Markus Huber, senior trader at Peregrine & Black, referring to a situation where traders scramble to unwind negative bets on the market, helping push prices higher.
According to a Reuters’ poll of economists, non-farm payrolls are expected to have increased by 185,000 last month, snapping back from December’s three-year low, which could eclipse recent tepid U.S. manufacturing data.
Emerging market equities were regaining ground on Friday, with the MSCI Emerging Market index .MSCIEF up 0.7 percent, while battered currencies such as the Turkish lira and the South African rand were trading off recent lows.
Data from Thomson Reuters Lipper showed further massive outflows from emerging market equities, however, with U.S.-based funds invested in emerging market stocks seeing redemptions of $2.7 billion during the seven-day period to February 5.
Alexandre Baradez, chief market analyst at IG France, warned about the risk that a lower-than-expected U.S. payroll figure could send stocks dropping again.
“If you look at the last batch of U.S. macro figures, it was quite sluggish, so the risk seems on the downside ahead of the payrolls data. This market correction is probably not over yet,” he said.
The euro fell to $1.3552, from around $1.3582 beforehand, and Bund futures rose as high as 144.02, up 69 ticks on the day, after German judges referred a complaint against the ECB’s OMT bond-buying program to the European Court.
Although the German court said it saw substantial reasons to suggest the OMT exceeds the ECB’s mandate, the European Court has a reputation for giving federalist rulings that take a broad interpretation of European institutions’ powers.
The announcement at the height of the bloc’s sovereign debt crisis in September 2012 of the as-yet unused program, which promises potentially unlimited sovereign bond purchases by the ECB, is widely credited with stabilizing the euro.
On the commodities front, London copper was set to post its largest weekly rise this year, boosted by hopes the U.S. jobs figures will calm fears about global growth.
Brent crude steadied above $107 a barrel, heading for its second weekly gain in three on optimism about the U.S. jobs data.
Gold inched up, trading at $1,260.35 an ounce, as Chinese buyers came back into the market after a week-long holiday.
– REUTERS
Business
Eterna Posts N5.88bn Profit for H1
Improved operating performances have seen Eterna Plc report higher revenue and profitability for the second quarter and half-year ended June 30, 2026.
The company’s unaudited consolidated financial results showed that revenue rose by 38 per cent to N217.31bn from N157.65bn in the corresponding period of 2025.
The results show that gross profit more than doubled to N15.99bn, while operating profit increased to N8.78bn from N2.34bn. Profit before tax rose by 389 per cent to N7.67bn from N1.57bn recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
Profit after tax (PAT) increased to N5.88bn from N573.81m, while earnings per share (EPS) improved to N2.69 from N0.44.
The company also reported an improved financial position, with total assets standing at N82.75bn as of June 30, 2026.
Cash and bank balances increased to N20.36bn from N4.79bn as of December 31, 2025, while total liabilities declined to N51.22bn from N84.43bn. Total equity rose to N31.53bn from N7.77bn, reflecting stronger liquidity and capitalisation.
ALSO READ: AVA Capital Lists on NGX Main Board
On the results, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jude Nwaulune, said, “These results demonstrate the strength of our business and the impact of disciplined execution across our operations. The significant improvement in profitability and financial position provides a solid foundation to advance our growth priorities.
“The successful Rights Issue has further strengthened our balance sheet, resulting in a healthy leverage position, stronger equity and improved net assets. We remain focused on expanding our retail, aviation, lubricants and gas businesses, improving operational efficiency and customer experience, and delivering sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders.”
The company said its full unaudited consolidated financial statements for the half-year ended June 30, 2026, are available on its website.
Business
AVA Capital Lists on NGX Main Board
AVA Capital Plc has been admitted to the Main Board of Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) following the listing by introduction of its 5 billion ordinary shares at ₦7.50 per share, with a market capitalisation of ₦37.5 billion.
The listing marks a significant milestone in the Company’s growth journey, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable growth, strong corporate governance and long-term value creation, while enhancing its visibility within Nigeria’s capital market.
Speaking at the listing ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of AVA Capital Plc, Kayode Fadahunsi, described the admission as a defining moment in the Company’s evolution. “Our admission to the Main Board of Nigerian Exchange is more than a listing; it is a public affirmation of the business we have built and the future we are committed to creating. We have established a resilient institution with a clear growth strategy, strong governance culture and an unwavering focus on creating sustainable value for our shareholders. Becoming a listed company deepens our accountability, broadens our visibility and positions us to seize new opportunities as we continue our growth journey.”
ALSO READ: NNPC Ltd Remits N6.3tn to Federation Account, Makes N535bn PAT
Commenting on the listing, the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Exchange Limited, Jude Chiemeka, said the admission reflects the continued confidence of businesses in Nigeria’s capital market as a platform for sustainable growth. “Today’s listing reflects the confidence that forward-looking companies continue to place in the Nigerian capital market. By joining the Main Board of Nigerian Exchange, AVA Capital Plc is embracing the transparency, governance standards and market discipline that define public companies, while positioning itself to access a broader investor base and unlock long-term value. We are delighted to welcome AVA Capital Plc to the NGX family and look forward to supporting its continued growth.”
The admission of AVA Capital Plc expands the range of investment opportunities available to investors while reinforcing NGX’s commitment to connecting businesses with long-term capital and supporting their growth through enhanced visibility, strong governance and deeper investor engagement.
Business
NNPC Ltd Remits N6.3tn to Federation Account, Makes N535bn PAT
June 2026 results of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) shows a Profit After Tax (PAT) of N535 billion, despite recording a marginal decline in crude oil and condensate production during the month.
The figure represents a 15.8 percent increase over the preceding month, according to the latest Monthly Financial and Operations Report of the state oil major, which indicates that the PAT rose by N73bn from the N462bn recorded in May, while revenue increased to N4.389tn.
According to the report, the company remitted cumulative statutory payments of N6.286tn to the Federation in H1, 2026.
It read, “NNPC Limited recorded N535bn profit after tax for the month of June, representing a 15.8 per cent increase from the N462bn recorded in May. Total revenue for the month stood at N4.389tn, while cumulative statutory payments to the Federation for the period January to June 2026 increased to N6.286tn, underscoring NNPC Limited’s sustained contribution to national revenue generation.”
ALSO READ: OPEC+ Boosts September Production by 188,000 Barrels Per Day
Average crude oil and condensate production declined marginally to 1.72 million barrels per day in June from 1.73 million barrels per day in May, representing a 0.58 percent decrease. However, output was 1.18 percent higher than the 1.70 million barrels per day recorded in June 2025.
According to the report, production was affected by operational disruptions, facility integrity issues and subsurface challenges across several assets.
It stated, “June production performance was impacted by operational disruptions, facility integrity issues, and subsurface challenges across several assets. However, performance was partially mitigated by production ramp-up following the completion of the Assa-Rumuekpe and 28-inch TNP Turnaround Maintenance.”
Despite the slight production decline, crude oil and condensate sales surged to 28.23 million barrels in June from 18.95 million barrels in May, representing a 48.97 percent month-on-month increase. The June sales volume was also 6.77 percent higher than the 26.44 million barrels sold in June 2025.
Gas production also improved, rising to 7,841 million standard cubic feet per day from 7,774 million standard cubic feet per day in May, while gas sales recovered to 4,970 million standard cubic feet per day from 4,921 million standard cubic feet per day.
The report highlighted progress on two major gas infrastructure projects. The Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben Gas Pipeline reached 98 percent completion, with final tie-in works ongoing.
It stated, “The Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Gas Pipeline progressed to 98% completion, with final tie-in works ongoing towards achieving First Gas in August 2026.”
Construction on the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline also advanced to 94 percent completion. According to the company, “Construction and installation activities on the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline advanced to 94 per cent completion, supporting the target of early gas delivery to Abuja in 2026.”
The NNPC Ltd declared that it would continue implementing measures to sustain production growth despite operational challenges.
It stated, “Focus remains on delivering incremental production across the asset portfolio by improving facility reliability and availability, minimizing Unscheduled Downtime, optimising crude export operations, and accelerating the maturation of production opportunities to sustain Upstream production growth.”
The report also showed that upstream pipeline availability remained at 100 percent during the month, while petrol availability across the NNPC Retail Limited stations stood at 53 percent. It added that all production, sales and financial figures remained provisional and were subject to reconciliation with relevant stakeholders.





