CORPORATE ACTIONS: N1.15 and Cost pressures

Corporate actions are decisions taken by companies’ boards of directors or management teams, that could have impacts on the firms themselves or shareholders.  

Examples of corporate actions include the release of quarterly and full year results,  payment of dividends, closing of shareholders’ registers, announcing qualification and Annual General Meeting (AGM) dates.  

Here is a review of corporate actions that took place last week, and those expected this week.  

MoreStories

DMO allots N3.64 billion in April Savings Bond offer 

April 18, 2026

Ecobank crosses N1 trillion profit in 2025 as treasury income narrows lending gap 

April 18, 2026

N1.15 

Forte Oil Plc released its first quarter 2019 results. The firm bucked the trend of poor Q1 2019 results by oil  and gas firms, as profit for the period increased from N2.9 billion in 2018 to N3.3 billion in 2019, on the back of profit from discontinued operations.  

The company also declared a special dividend of N1.15 from the proceeds of the sale of its subsidiaries.  

Forte also issued a separate notice stating it had concluded the divestment and sale of its shares in AP Oil and Gas Ghana Limited to Cobalt International Services Ghana Limited.

The divestment from Amperion and Forte Upstream is however subject to the fulfillment of conditions outlined in the share sale and purchase agreements, as well as contractual and regulatory approval.

Forte has signed a share sale and purchase agreement with Gbonka Oil and Gas Limited with respect to the divestment and sale of its shares in Forte Upstream Services Limited.

it has also entered into a share sale and purchase agreement wiht Calvados GlobalServices Limited with respect to the divestment and sale of its shares in Amperion Power Distribution Company Limited.

UAC rebounds 

UAC Nigeria delivered a better performance in its Q1 2019 results, compared to its FY 2018 full year which saw a sharp decline in bottom line.  

Revenue went up by 12.5% to N18.3 billion. Profit after tax also increased by 66.3% to N995 million.  

UPDC continues to struggle 

UAC’s property arm UPDC however remains mired in losses. The firm recorded a N1 billon loss in Q1 2019, higher than the N899 million recorded in the comparative period of 2018.  

Fidson Healthcare 

Fidson Healthcare returned to profitability in the first quarter of 2019, after recording a loss in FY 2018. Topline and bottom line however dropped, with profit falling sharply. Profit after tax fell by 40.2% to N144 million in Q1 2019, due to a spike in interest charges.  

Still good times at Caverton  

Caverton Offshore Support Group (COSG) continued its run of superlative results recorded in the 2018 financial year. For the first quarter ended March 2019, revenue and profit rose significantly.   

Revenue jumped by 84.4% to N8.3 billion. Profit after tax also rose sharply by 170% to N793 million. 

A flat Union 

Union Bank had a slight drop in gross earnings in its Q1 2019 results, while profit after tax was flat year on year at N5.2 billion.  

Cost pressures   

Firms in the oil and gas space performed poorly in the first quarter due to a sharp rise in interest charges.  

Total Nigeria Plc recorded a N474 million loss in 2019 as against a N1.6 billion profit in 2018.  

Key factors behind its poor performance were administrative expenses which were up 27.2% to N5.6 billion in 2019. Interest charges also jumped 192% to N1.7 billion.  

Eterna Oil recorded a sharp drop in profit after tax by 33.1% from N510 million in 2018 to N341 million in 2019.  

MRS Oil Nigeria Plc recorded a N730 million loss after tax in Q1 2019 as against a N374 million profit recorded in the comparative period of 2018. Its finance costs rose by 19.5% to N118.7 million in 2019.

11 Plc also had the same pattern, with PAT dropping from N2.7 billion in 2018 to N2 billion in 2019. 

Do better 

FBN Holdings held its Annual General Meeting this week. Shareholders of the company tasked the board and management to strive for a better performance in the current financial year.  

Appointments  

First Aluminum Plc announced the appointment of Callistus Udalor as Managing Director, following the resignation of his predecessor Elias Igbinakenzua. Udalor was a one–time Deputy Managing Director of the firm.  

Berger Paints has appointed Anjan Sircar as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and Tolulope Ogunkolade as Chief Operating Officer.  

NAHCO announced the appointment of Abimbola Adebakun as Independent Non Executive Director, Saheed Lasisi as Executive Director Business and Commercial, and Adeoye Emiloju as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) 

Delays  

Presco announced a further delay in the release of its FY 2018 and Q1 2019 results. The company attributed this to a delay in the conclusion of its biological assets valuation. The firm however expects the results to be released on or before the 31st of May.

AG Leventis also notified the Exchange and investing public its FY 2018 and Q1 2019 results were yet to be released as an audit was still ongoing. The company however assured it would release the results on or before the 30th of June, 2019.   

Corporate Actions for next week  

Sunu Assurances (formerly known as Equity Assurance) and Union Bank will hold their Annual General Meetings on the 7th of May, 2019.  

AXA Mansard and Wema Bank will be holding their AGMs on the 8th of May, 2019.  

Unilever and Champion Breweries will be holding theirs on the 9th of May, 2019. 

---

Add Nairametrics on Google News

Follow us for Breaking News and Market Intelligence.