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U.S. Stocks Rally on Quarter’s Final Day

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WASHINGTON – Stocks rallied on the final day of the first quarter, as investors looked to finish off a lackluster three months on a positive note.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 130 points, or 0.8%, to 16455. The S&P 500 index added 14 points, or 0.8%, to 1872. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 47 points, or 1.1%, to 4203.Despite the market’s struggles to maintain the strong upward momentum seen last year, the broad benchmarks remained near recent highs. The S&P 500 kicked off the final trading day of the first quarter up 0.5% for the year, and just 1.1% below its March 7 record close. The Dow is down 1.5% from its Dec. 31 record close.

Traders said volumes were relatively light on Monday, with many market participants were showing a reluctance to sell stocks on the final day of the quarter. “I think the sellers…are exhausted,” said David Seaburg, head of equity sales trading at brokerage Cowen.

Biotechnology stocks recovered some of their recent losses. The sector has been hit hard in recent sessions as investors question the highflying prices of many companies, but the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index was recently up 1.9%.

Investors were cheered by comments by Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen, who said in a speech that the U.S. economy and job market are far from healthy and still require support from the central bank’s low-interest policy. Later this week, investors are likely to focus on readings on manufacturing activity Tuesday and the closely watched monthly employment report Friday.A number of economic readings earlier in the year pointed to a slowdown in growth, and investors are eager for updated data that is less colored by the harsh winter weather. “We’re starting the second quarter pretty much where we started the first quarter—not much changed and still concerns about whether we’ll see the arrival of better growth,” said Kate Warne, investment strategist at Edward Jones.

Ms. Warne says she is encouraging investors to consider adding bonds to their portfolios to protect against declines in stocks later this year, though she expects major indexes to post modest gains.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note ticked up to 2.744% from 2.712% late Friday.

On Friday, the Dow pared an early gain of 151 points to close up 59 points, but ended the week with a 0.1% gain.

Gold futures slipped 0.1% to $1,292.30 an ounce, after settling Friday at the lowest level seen in more than six weeks. Crude oil futures fell 0.2% to $101.51 a barrel. The dollar gained fell against the euro but gained ground against the yen.

In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 added 0.4%, after being up as much as 0.7% earlier.Consumer prices in the euro zone rose in March rose 0.5% on the year, below expectations of a 0.6% increase, and well below the European Central Bank’s target of just under 2%.

The anemic pace of price increases steps up the pressure on the European Central Bank to introduce fresh measures to stave off low inflation when it meets later this week. A number of ECB officials said last week that they were considering steps to combat dangerously low inflation.

Most Asian markets ended a weak quarter on a positive note. Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average rose 0.9%, but ended the first quarter down 9% on the year. China’s Shanghai Composite slipped 0.4% on Monday, and lost 3.9% on the quarter.

In corporate news, Biogen Idec gained 1.9% after the company and its partner said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its hemophilia B treatment. Biogen has been one of the harder-hit biotech stocks recently, losing 15% the last two weeks after running up 22% the first two months of the year, and 91% in 2013.

Biofuel Energy soared 39% after David Einhorn’s Greenlight Capital disclosed late Friday an increased stake, and a preliminary nonbinding proposal to acquire the company.

– WALLSTREET JOURNAL

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Shell Pledges Support for Nigeria’s Energy Journey

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Shell reiterates commitment to lower CO2 emissions in Nigeria

Shell will continue to support Nigeria in its efforts to build a secure energy future through investments and efficient delivery of its businesses in Nigeria.

“We continue to invest in Nigeria’s future through our projects, our people, and our enduring confidence in the potential of this nation,” General Manager, Development and Subsurface Shell Nigeria Deepwater, Kun Jiang said today while delivering the sponsor’s remarks at the 49th edition of the Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Society of Petroleum Engineers in Lagos.

Kun highlighted current investments in Bonga North, HI and the advancement of Bonga Southwest as testimonies of Shell’s confidence in Nigeria’s deepwater future. The confidence was further reiterated with the recent launch of a US$3 billion contract financing programme by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), which will help Nigerian contractors build capability, create value, and accelerate project delivery.

Shell is a major sponsor of the conference as part of a longstanding support for a professional body which has contributed to the development of the oil and gas industry. Discussing the theme of the conference; “Thriving in the Evolving Global Energy Landscape: Collaborative Growth and Resilience,” Kun said Nigeria had a lot of opportunities despite geopolitical tensions that threaten global supply chains and market volatility and shifting energy dynamics.

“With a population exceeding 240 million people, abundant natural resources, world-class talent, and growing domestic energy needs, Nigeria has all the ingredients to become one of the world’s most attractive energy investment destination,” she pointed out. “But potential alone does not create prosperity. Potential must be converted into progress. Resources must be transformed into value. Opportunity must be matched by action.”

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Nigeria must continue to attract capital, strengthen the business environment, embrace technology to unlock potentials if it will thrive in the global evolving energy landscape. She added: “The future will belong to countries and industries that combine resilience with innovation, ambition with collaboration and investment with execution excellence. Nigeria has the resources. Nigeria has the talent. Nigeria has the opportunity. What is required now is the collective determination to seize it.”

Shell is mounting an exhibition at the SPE conference with SNEPCo’s Senior Production Geologist Abidemi Belgore taking industry leaders and regulators round the stand.

Key areas of interest include technological breakthroughs that have enhanced output at Bonga and facilitated the execution of the Bonga North project. Also highlighted on the stand is the full range of Shell businesses in Nigeria from deepwater oil production and integrated gas to renewables and power solutions as well as social investments across the country.

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Naira Gains Strength, Appreciates to N1,408/$ in Parallel Market

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Naira To Dollar Exchanges At N464.67

The Nigerian naira recorded further gains against the United States dollar on Monday, appreciating to N1,408 per dollar in the parallel market, compared to N1,415/$ recorded at the close of trading last weekend.

The local currency also strengthened in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM), where it appreciated to N1,365 per dollar, up from N1,368/$ at the end of last week.

According to data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the indicative exchange rate improved by N3, reflecting sustained appreciation of the naira in the official market.

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The latest gains also narrowed the gap between the parallel and official exchange rates to N43 per dollar, down from N47 per dollar recorded on Friday, indicating a gradual convergence between both markets.

Meanwhile, activity in the official foreign exchange market increased significantly, with interbank turnover surging by 132.3 per cent to N137.05 million, compared to N58.99 million recorded last weekend.

The improved performance of the naira across both markets comes amid continued efforts by monetary authorities to stabilise the foreign exchange market and enhance liquidity.

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Pinnacle Convenes 2026 Vendors’ Forum

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With a view to improving operational efficiency, safety, compliance and service delivery across its operations, Pinnacle Oil & Gas Limited has reaffirmed commitment to building stronger relationships with its vendors.

The company made the commitment at its 2026 Vendors’ Forum held in Lagos under the theme, “Partnering for Operational Excellence,” with the sub-theme, “Strengthening Partnerships Through Compliance, Safety, Performance and Innovation.”

The forum brought together more than 100 existing and prospective vendors as well as key stakeholders, both physically and virtually, to strengthen collaboration and align suppliers with the company’s operational standards and growth strategy.

Speaking at the event, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Oil & Gas, Adenike Labinjo, described vendors as strategic partners whose commitment to quality, innovation, safety and compliance is critical to the company’s success.

She said as Pinnacle continues to expand its operations, it has become increasingly important for the company and its vendors to share a common understanding of expectations, responsibilities and performance standards.

Labinjo stressed that safety, regulatory compliance and ethical business practices remain non-negotiable in all engagements with suppliers.

She noted that stronger collaboration with vendors would help the company deliver greater value to customers and other stakeholders while supporting sustainable business growth.

The forum featured technical presentations by senior executives from the company’s Procurement, Engineering, Compliance, Finance, Legal, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), and Sales and Marketing departments.

Participants received guidance on Pinnacle’s procurement procedures, vendor onboarding and prequalification processes, Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, tax invoicing, payment processes, contractual obligations, technical specifications, contractor responsibilities, supplier performance expectations and Service Level Agreements.

The company also unveiled improvements to its Purchase Order (PO) process aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and ease of doing business with vendors.

A major highlight of the event was an interactive question-and-answer session where vendors engaged directly with the company’s leadership on procurement procedures, compliance requirements, project execution, HSE standards and areas for continuous improvement.

According to Pinnacle, the session reinforced its commitment to transparency, open communication and stronger collaboration with suppliers.

ALSO READ: Eterna Posts N5.88bn Profit for H1

The company also recognised outstanding vendors whose contributions have supported its operational performance over the past year. Five companies received Certificates of Recognition for exceptional service delivery, innovation and partnership.

The award recipients were Great Grace Enterprise for Outstanding Delivery Performance, Cevets Nigeria Limited for Excellence in Project Delivery, Ceezik Projekts for Outstanding Quality, Diadco Nigeria Limited for Outstanding Responsiveness, and Sephill Innovative Solutions Limited for Best Commercial Value.

On the significance of the forum, Head of Procurement and Administration, Oluseyi Ogunfowora, said the initiative reflects Pinnacle’s determination to build stronger partnerships through transparency, collaboration and shared accountability.

She explained that the procurement function coordinates the requirements of Engineering, Operations, Marine, Compliance, Legal, Finance, HSE and other business units to ensure a fair, efficient and transparent procurement process.

Ogunfowora urged vendors to submit complete and compliant documentation, communicate proactively and seek clarification whenever necessary.

“The success of our business depends on the strength of our partnerships,” she said. “When vendors clearly understand our expectations and we work together with transparency, compliance and open communication, we create a high-performing vendor ecosystem that benefits everyone.”

She added that the 2026 Vendors’ Forum forms part of Pinnacle’s broader strategy to strengthen supplier engagement, improve operational efficiency and reinforce a culture of compliance, safety, innovation and continuous improvement throughout its value chain.

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