Investors Diary

Dear Investor,
Welcome to sample a collection of my thoughts, research, financial advice, gut feeling and other works that i love to share with you from time to time.

If you are a stock market investor or otherwise and would like to invest in the Kenyan stock mart, the Nairobi Stock Exchange, you can always get free and helpful financial and investment advice on this site.

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More latters as we strive the world of investing fun , more fun and alot of fun.
Showing posts with label Investment Banking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Investment Banking. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Revealed: Kenya's Exclusive Clubs

In Kenya there are many 'clubs' that are often deemed as only for members who have paid the joining fee. These 'clubs' are widespread and any new member intending to join must adhere to the strict guidelines and stringent rules set by those already with membership. These rules sometimes are inhibitions (choreographed stumbling blocks) meant to hinder any jokers from joining out of whims and not with serious consideration and well thought out intention.
Welcome to Kenya a place of exclusive clubs!

From sports facilities including golf clubs, tennis courts, swimming pools, gyms to night clubs and clandestine groups with 'Strictly Members Only' signs clearly imprinted in large bold letters at their entrance points, these exclusives places abound and are places arousing curiosity amongst the outsiders who would wish to have a peek at the goings-on in the inner circles of the clubs.

Investment Groups:
Talk about Investment groups and they have also become exclusively members only and sometimes a close politically correctness and patronage is an added advantage to the grouping. Remember Trancentury Group and the associated cliques. Its membership was started a few years ago and with right investment decisions the company have managed to amass alot of resources. Thanks to its closeness to the political elite, the company is now so exclusive and any new member is at the mercy of older members after paying hefty joining fees.

The sons and daughters of the Trancentury elite are now putting their best foot forward and have hit the road with their Baraka Ltd, another investment group fashioned in the style of Trancentury and upping their stakes in the investment arena.

Baraka Ltd:
Baraka Ltd (according to reliable source) is a new investment group consisting of politically connected young upcomming business entrepreneurs (mainly sons and daughters of the Trancentury elite) running their own successdul business ventures and possessing the requisite skills and academic papers to spruce up their investment endceavors and what more do they need. The sky is the limit!

Nairobi Stock Exchange:
The Nairobi Stock Exchange has also become an exclusive club with a few wealthy persons allegedly running the shows here. Do not forget that having the coveted seat at the NSE is also a subject of political maneuvres and off-the-cuff tactics.

Renaissance Capital:
Talking about the NSE, now Renaissance Capital (K) Limited moved a step closer to securing a stockbroker’s license when it won the tender for the purchase of the coveted seat on the Nairobi Stock Exchange tha fell vacant with the unprecedented collapse of Francis Thuo and Partner. The brokerage firm's wooes began with the sudden death of its main proprietor, Francis Thou.
Renaissance Capital bid was the second priced at Kshs 251 Million to Old Mutual Investment Management Services hefty price Sh452 million.

Now Renaissance Capital, Russia's leading Investment Bank, is now ushered into one of the most exclusive clubs—the 18-member NSE.

Turning the Heat on Financial Markets:
The Renaissance Group is a leading private investment bank operating mainly in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Renaissance Capital, which specialises in investing in high opportunity emerging markets, is estimated to have a market value of between $7 billion to $10 billion (over Sh700 billion) is set to turn the heat on local financial market players as it acquires more regulatory licenses to operate other services.
NIC Bank Capital had submitted a Sh180 million bid for the seat and was third.

Parliament:
As a matter of fact 2007 is an electioneering year and with several individual declaring their intetions to vie for the various seats, it is now emerging that the parliamentary seat is another coveted place that has become the preserve of the rich. With billions likely to be poured to 'shake every corner of the republic' it goes without saying that the monied will carry the day as the electorate blinded by small perks and handouts will rush to vote in their 'cherished leader' to join exclusive club of 222 members ( thanks to the rejection of the women bill and the constituencies bill that would have seen the number increase by 50- Nominated women and 40 new constituencies) with fat pockets, hefty salaries and substantial allowances to top it up.

Welcome to the club;

STRICTLY MEMBERS ONLY

and have a members day, wont you?

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Rennaissance Capital Now sets Shop


License:
Europe's leading investment banker, Renaissance Capital, Tuesday received a license to operate as a local investment bank in Kenya and said it would to target Zimbabwe and Nigeria as one of its key markets in Africa.

Major Investment Bank:
Renaissance Capital is a leading investment banking firm in Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The company has market-leading positions in each of its core businesses – -Mergers & Acquisitions
- Equity and debt capital markets
-Securities sales and trading
-Research
-Derivatives
The company is wholly owned by employees and management and is part of the Renaissance Group.

Rennaissance Group:
Renaissance Capital is part of the Renaissance Group, an independent group of consumer finance, investment banking, asset management, merchant banking companies specializing in emerging markets. The Group began operations in Russia in 1995 and has since become the largest privately owned investment group.

Stephen Jennings, Renaissance Chief Executive Officer, said here the Kenyan license allowed the firm to set up its Africa regional headquarters in Nairobi, from where it invest an initial sum of 1 billion U.S. dollars in Africa's telecommunication sector.

Peek on fellow Bloggers and Newsportals:
Investors are waiting to see what these new kid on the block will bring to the stock market. Read out bankele's analysis of the new stock broker.

As various companies release their financial results the banking sector has realized some all time highs. Those who have released their results include Equity, KCB, BBK, NIC amongst others. Read more and the incisive analysis by Mjengakenya.

Standard Chartered Bank Kenya has reported a 21% increase in half-year pre-tax profit. The bank posted a Sh400,000 rise in its profitability to hit Sh2.3 billion, up from Sh1.9 billion over the same period in 2006 to be the second most profitable bank in Kenya after Barclays.

BBK PLC is bidding for ABN Amro Bank in Europe with sweet offers to Amro's shareholders.Read Kainvestor'a blog on this here.

Telkom Kenya rattles the big boys in their game with only a few months into its wireless operations that has attracted close to 150,000 subscribers and growing. Its targets are immense and its only a matter of time and they will be in the same league as Safaricom and Celtel. How about their profitability and sale of its 51% stake? The companies said to have bidded include, India’s Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and the Tata Group all for the 51 per cent in state-owned Telkom Kenya. Time will tell after a conference recently for the tenderers to buy the stake.

Confidence in the Nairobi Stock Exchange remains high despite a recent market correction and loss by investors of more than Sh80 million in the collapse of a brokerage firm.