Securities trader urges Nigerian firms to leverage stock exchange to scale

As businesses return fully for economic activities, and the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) gathers pace following its takeoff, there is hardly a better time for businesses to access the opportunities available on the stock exchange to raise cheap long-term capital for their operations.

Conventionally, across the globe, capital markets offer an interesting opportunity for businesses that are looking to raise capital for medium to long term financing of their activities. The stock exchange trade fills in as a monetary go-between among investors and businesses listed on its floor.

It is regarded as a trading post that links businesses to a large pool of local and foreign investors who are constantly searching for interesting investment opportunities. Consequently, these investors are anxious to boost their return on investments (ROI) and will put their monies in stocks that have favourable profit projections. The advantage for businesses on an exchange is that they can get huge capital at lower cost.

In other words, one might say that businesses listed on the Nigerian stock exchange, for example, Stanbic IBTC, MTN Nigeria, and BUA Foods, among others, have an advantage in terms of access to low cost capital to fund and grow their activities.

BUA Foods Plc’s 18 billion shares, for example, were recently listed on the exchange at N40. The posting on the stock exchange provided a lever for the BUA Foods business to raise capital and deepen its operating capacity in the pasta, edible oil, sugar, and flour segments of the local food value chain, as well as drive its export capacities. While this move lifted the NGX Exchange (NGX’s) market capitalisation by N720 billion, it yielded a capital gain of 33 percent for investors in the first week.

Likewise, MTN Nigeria had a similar remarkable run in the first month of listing. Its shares appreciated from N99 to N129.45, yielding monstrous gains for investors while mopping up funds for the telecommunications giant to drive its network and mobile money expansion agenda.

Taking into account how the economy is holding up and the careful methodology of traditional loan specialists to private companies, it is the ideal opportunity for the sector to explore the capital market in a bid to get access to long-term finance and take advantage of emerging market opportunities. This is crucial for the survival of the segment.

In fact, there are tailored platforms that meet the capital needs of the SME segment on the floor of the stock exchange. The Growth Board on the NGX provides an alternative route for well-structured independent companies with potential for growth to list on the exchange. Businesses of all sizes can list on the stock exchange to access cheap and long term tenured equity or capital from the capital market.

In the meantime, the finance opportunities available at the stock exchange are not constrained to large businesses. Structured small-medium enterprises need funding to navigate the getting teeth challenges in the early growth stages.

Akinkunmi Majaro, head, Absa Securities Nigeria Limited, in an expert opinion to Business A.M, said businesses would need long-term access to finance to reinforce operating cash flow, drive product development initiatives, enhance strategies, expand product promotion coverage, penetrate new markets as well as scale operating capacity to the pre-COVID-19 levels.

“Businesses consistently strive to grow. Therefore, continued access to cash flow and other investment resources are crucial for businesses aiming to build the competitive edge necessary to drive growth. Meanwhile, the global health crisis and its fallout are strong indications that access to long-term financing with fewer stringent demands is critical to staying resilient in an austere operating environment.

“The Nigeria Stock Exchange, especially, provides access to long and medium term finance for structured businesses. Absa Capital Markets Nigeria Limited is positioned to help multinational and local businesses and a wide range of investors gain an overriding view of the capital market as well as guide investors and businesses in making wise investment and finance choices,” he added.

Absa, which offers investment banking and market products through various Nigerian registered subsidiaries, namely Absa Representative Office Nigeria Limited, Absa Capital Markets Nigeria Limited, and Absa Securities Nigeria Limited, advised local businesses to tap into the ample pool of retail and institutional investors on the stock exchange to drive their growth aspirations.

Akinkunmi further asserted that the capacity of these businesses to access funds promptly would positively rub off on economic growth. It would revamp the employment generating capacity of the ordered private sector and subsequently impact the gross domestic product level.

Soaring inflation and prolonged trading inactivity because of the global lockdown have left businesses with huge inventories and a cash flow problem, which also disrupted funding pipelines. As of now, large, medium, and small businesses are sourcing for funds to get their businesses back in the groove and pursue their growth mandate as markets open gradually.

However, many businesses default to bank loans when they are pressed financially. But the stringent requirements by the banks and the high financing cost on such loans remain a big challenge that small and medium businesses sometimes find hard to overcome. Fluctuating currency exchange rates and inflation trends have further intensified SMEs’ capacity to access modestly cheap funding for their operations. It has, therefore, become apparent that businesses look beyond the commercial banks for their funding needs.