Nigeria’s largest bank by assets, Zenith Bank Plc, spent a whopping N20 billion on Information Technology in 2020, more than double its 2019 spend of N9 billion.  

A cursory view of the bank’s expense line for 2020 reveals that it spent N148.1 billion on other expenses compared with N129. 4 billion in the same period of the previous year. Information technology was the major driver of the bank’s expense line, making up about 15.5% of total operating expenses. 

Why this matters: Most banks are expected to record higher spend on information technology in 2020 due to forced work-from-home policies triggered by Covid-19. Apps such as Zoom, and Microsoft Teams went mainstream during the pandemic as most businesses increasingly depended on them to function. 

• While remote working may have been a major contributor, the bank likely splurged heavily on software applications, cloud computing, SaaS, and investing in technology to drive its FinTech goals. 
• Apart from Information Technology, the bank also spent more on AMCON levy during the year, incurring a cost of N30.9 billion.  
• A notable reduction in year-on-year expenditure was its spending on Hotels and Travels. The bank spent N1.8 billion in Travel and Hotels. 
• Zenith Bank reported a record N230 billion in profit after tax for the year ended December 2020. The bank is now the largest bank by Total Assets, with over N8.4 trillion.

Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc via the Nigerian Stock exchange recently declared a 33.0% Year to year growth in earnings to N29.8 billion for the financial year of 2020

The company also announced a dividend of N1.50 (vs N1.10 total dividend in 2019).

Dangote Sugar’s revenue expanded by 33.0% YoY amid strong volume growth in its 50 kg sugar offering (c.96.0% of total sales).

The company’s impressive outing amazed a significant number of stock pundits despite a surge in tax charges which partially offset some of the positive passthrough from border closures on earnings.

Gross margin expanded by 1.31ppts Year to Year to 25.08%, which we believe points to the effects of recent cost-containment measures and the slump in global raw sugar prices in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The raw sugar price dropped to as low $0.09/lb in 2020 and traded c.$0.13/lb on average during 2020 (-4.38% YoY)

What you should know: Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc (the Company) was incorporated as a Public Limited Liability Company on 4 January 2005, commenced operation on 1 January 2006, and became quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in March 2007. Its current shareholding is 68% by Dangote Industries Limited and 32% by the Nigerian public.

The principal activity of the Group is the refining of raw sugar into edible sugar and the selling of refined sugar. The Group’s products are sold through distributors across the country.

That being said, in spite of such impressive results from the N217 billion valued company experienced a surge in operational cost partly due to persistent FX scarcity.

Dangote Sugar reported a four-fold increase in finance cost, which can be largely attributed to the foreign exchange loss in its ordinary business operations, driven by persistent FX shortages and naira repricing at the exchange rate windows.