All of my long-form thoughts on programming, finance(in africa), design, and more in one place, chronologically ordered.
Stanbic Bank(SBIC) announced their earnings a day ago, and despite a 3.8% drop in revenue they managed to maintain their double digit growth record with regard to profitability. The firm reported 13% YOY growth in profitability and delighted investors with a final dividend of KES 18.9. Let's unpack their numbers and get an idea of what to expect for FY25 and beyond.
Even with a 19% dip in profitability BAT still delivered for investors; maintaining the KES 5B in dividend payouts for FY24. We look at their perfomance on the backdrop of a tough macro-economic environment and find out whether there was room to do better or they outperformed expecteations.
Every so often, a unique opportunity arises in the stock market—a moment when getting in at the right time can truly pay off. While the saying goes that 'time in the market beats timing the market', there are rare exceptions to this rule. Over the past 4-5 months, Kenyan stocks have been trading at bargain prices as many investors flocked to the safety of bonds. But the tide is turning, and the buzz is building—investors are eyeing the stock market once again. In this article, I’ll walk you through 5 compelling reasons why now might be the perfect time to dive into Kenyan stocks. Don’t miss out.
DTB posts double-digit growth for HY24 despite a shrinking loan book, this was primarily driven by increased interest income. The company's expansion in the region is paying off with regional subsidiaries contributing 35% to the firm's pre-tax profit. The company continues to expand as they get into new sectors within the markets they serve such as agriculture and public sector. Find out what drove the company's growth for HY24.
Absa's grew net profits by 29%, an impressive rate considering the headwinds faced in the market. They've announced a dividend of KES 0.2 per share, this is good news for all investors and is the primary reason we all do it. The loan book shrank by half a percent and NPLs are up 22%, other than that the company reported good results.
Due to currency revaluation, the customer deposits at Standard Chartered fell by 19% - nonetheless profits grew by nearly 50%. The bank has had a great HY and are poised to continue on the same trajectory, their focus and quality of service are setting them apart in the marketplace and attracting their ideal customer. They posted extraordinary numbers for HY24 with pre-tax profit growing by 50% and operating income growing by 25%, let's dive a little deeper into their financials.
Half year earnings for I&M Group were special, leading to a 66% rally on the stock market as investors hurried to get in on the action. The firm did fairly well, certainly not well enough to warrant the Thursday frenzy, they posted a 17% increase in profits. A possible reason for the frenzy might be the recent top ranking of the bank in the consumer sentiment index, have a look at their performance.
KCB is just gliding through FY24, posting 86% growth YOY in profits - this comes after a terrible performance the previous year. Paul Russo's tough decisions in FY23 are already paying off as the bank posts phenomenal numbers once again after having a stellar Q1. The bank will resume paying out dividends with a record interim dividend of KES 1.5. Here's their performance for HY24.
Half year results for Co-operative bank were announced recently, they posted 7% increase in net profit - steady growth that seems sustainable in the long haul. Their credit rating was downgraded in late July, this definitely had no effect on HY earnings; however, we're yet to see the effects of the downgrade. Their exposure to government securities is worrisome - at 28% of total assets their risk management team might be making some assumptions.
NCBA group released their HY earnings, profits grew 5% YOY to KES 9.8B. Decent numbers considering they recently acquired the insurance firm AIG, and the high interest rate environment. The downgrade of their rating was expected, however only time will tell the true impact it'll have on the firm. The big question is, as we move into the new era of no monthly fees, will we continue to see growth?
At times you want to add a short conclusion or summary to a note, this summary could come in handy when you don't have time to read through the content of the note or want to share a summarized version of your ideas. The footnote feature in Ramanie can help you do just that, saving you time and perhaps even make you a better writer in the process.
In a rapidly changing world, traditional media seems unable to keep up. From CNN's parent company Warner Bros Discovery, posting a $9B write-down on its troubled network assets, to Nation Media Group posting KES 572M loss in HY '24 results. Why is this happening and what does the future look like?
For over 5 years, BAT has sought authorization from the Kenyan government to manufacture nicotine pouches. Despite their efforts, they haven't received approval. In their HY '24 results announcement, BAT revealed they accepted an offer to sell the machinery intended for pouch production. What does this mean for BAT Kenya investors, customers and the Kenyan economy?
Digital lenders in Kenya, once seen as a lucrative business opportunity, face new challenges due to recent protests and regulatory changes. Despite initial success and the potential for high profits, firms are now dealing with decreased loan volumes and increased late repayments. The Central Bank's regulations have improved industry practices, attracting reputable names, but uncertainty still affects their operations and growth prospects.
After drawing inspiration from the gallery application and in an effort to improve Ramanie's user experience, I had an idea of making it possible for users to view the next/previous note by swiping either to the left or right. You can now swipe to view the next/previous note, no need to go back to the list - only on Ramanie. Part-2
We saw a frenzy in 2022 to get into the DRC market when 2 of the largest banks in Kenya(among others) made acquisitions in the country. This came after the nation formally joined the EAC, opening up its market to other member states' businessmen. The FOMO was real, these subsidiaries have made KES 30B cumulatively in profits for their parent companies. Is there still opportunity for investors, or are we late to the party?
Amsons group, a Tanzanian conglomerate has seen an opportunity in the regional construction industry and is buying up companies. They bought a majority stake in Mbeya Cement of Tanzania in 2023 from Holcim Group, they've now made an offer to buyout Bamburi Cement of Kenya. Their offer of KES 65 per share would give shareholders, on date of announcement, a KES 20 premium(~45%). What's the opportunity?
Banks, mutual funds among other institutional investors to be barred from investing in the nation's infrastructure bonds in a proposal tabled by the National Treasury of Kenya. Quite an interesting proposal with no well-founded reason, leaving investors to fill in the blanks. There was a lot that was left to the imagination, let's do some dot-joining.
After drawing inspiration from the gallery application and in an effort to improve Ramanie's user experience, I had an idea of making it possible for users to view the next/previous note by swiping either to the left or right. You can now swipe to view the next/previous note, no need to go back to the list - only on Ramanie.
In recent weeks investors have been frantically scrambling to exit the Kenyan market, concerned by the anti-tax protests. Moodys then downgraded the country's credit rating warning investors of the risks associated with investing in the nation. However, we believe that recent events have shown that the shareholders(people of Kenya) are concerned about their country, and want a better Kenya.
There can't be losers without winners and the current high interest rate environment has labeled many as losers. However, there's one sector bucking this trend, the financial services sector of the Kenyan economy is booming. Numerous banks posted record earnings for FY23 on the back of higher base lending rate, they're continuing on this run with phenomenal growth in 2024.
Content on the internet is often created with at least one goal in mind; sharing it with others. Opengraph images allow creators to tailor that first engagement with our content, we can design a custom image that gives the viewer a preview of what to expect. This can be one of the ways through which our content can stand out and leave the viewer with a good impression
There are times when you'd like to ensure that the user's device is connected to the internet for a certain task to be executed. You can now observe the connection state through livedata and make sure that the user's device is connect to a valid and functioning internet network
NCBA Group recently announced the completion of its acquisition of the insurer AIG Kenya from AIG Group. The largest banking group in Africa by customer count plans to tap into the lucrative and steadily growing insurance market, and they're poised to do just that with their recent acquisition of AIG Kenya that serves the East African market.
The Nairobi Securities Exchange listed reinsurance company, Kenya Re just went post dividend and its stock price has dropped by nearly 50% in a matter of days. After a pretty good year; with a pre-tax profit of KES 7.03 billion and a 17% dividend of KES 0.30 per share, the stock price has tumbled; from a Monday 24, 2024 high of KES 2.87 to a Friday 28, 2024 close of KES 1.4
From a year-to-date high of KES 451 to a low of KES 352, BAT has lost 21.95% of its share price value. This comes after a good year for the company, giving a dividend of KES 50 and announcing plans to build manufacturing plants.
Ever wanted to group a set of named constants that are somewhat related? Well look no further, with enums we can easily group these named constants. There are 3 main types of enums: numeric, string and heterogenous. Let's dive right in!