***CBN Announces commitment to supply USD to BDCs on the resumption of international flights***
KEY INDICATORS
FGN Bonds
It was a quiet start for FGN Bonds opening the week, as market participants remained focused on the monthly Bond auction scheduled for mid-week. Tight system liquidity pressured yields at the short-end of the curve, as offers improved for the 2023s paper most notably.
Spreads compressed across most of the benchmark securities, most notably at the mid-end of the curve, bringing yields down by c.29bps on the average at the close of the session.
We expect little market activity in tomorrow’s session, as market participants look to the DMO to dictate the direction of yields at the primary auction later in the week.
Benchmark FGN Bonds
Treasury Bills
Tight system liquidity continued to put pressure on yields in today’s session as appetite for OMO bills dwindled for short-to mid-tenured securities. The long-dated papers remained well bid around 4.00% levels, showing market participants expectations for this liquidity squeeze to be short-lived. Yields expanded by 69bps on the average across the benchmark OMO curve.
We expect the market activities to pick in tomorrow’s trading session, as OMO maturities are expected to ease the selling pressures on yields as system liquidity improves.
Money Markets
OBB and OVN rates dropped by c.175% on the average compared to yesterday’s close, providing little respite to funding positions for local banks. Market liquidity remained tight, opening at c.N88BN positive.
We expect system liquidity to ease up tomorrow as OMO maturities of c.N49bn are credited. Money market rates should, therefore, crash tomorrow, likely below 10.00% levels.
FX Market
The FX space remained poorly supplied across all market segments. The IEFX window continued to trade leanly as trade volumes remained depressed while most market participants stayed bided at N380.00/$ and N386.00/$, causing the closing rate to appreciate slightly by 0.22k D/D.
The Naira weakened further at the parallel market by N1.50k on the average, despite news of the CBN’s commitment to supply FX to BDCs once international flights resume.
Eurobonds
The bull run of the NIGERIA Sovereigns Eurobond curve slowed down in the opening session of the week, as demand for the oil-related papers dwindled despite improved oil prices. We noted wider spreads on quotes for most of the session, but with little trading activity. Overall, yields expanded by an average of c.3bps across the sovereign curve.
The NIGERIA Corporates had a quiet session today although the market continues to show demand interest for the FIDBAN 2022s and ETINL 24s papers.
Zedcrest Capital
