Topicals



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Recent Topicals

State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Privatization

Apr 7, 2024

Privatization involves selling government-owned assets (including shares in state-owned companies) to private individuals or businesses. This excludes selling new shares to current shareholders or financial restructuring within a company that might reduce the government's ownership percentage. The proof of long-term inefficiencies, misconduct, poor financial management, and waste in state owned enterprises (SOEs) necessitates the need for privatization which typically tries to increase economic efficiency by increasing a company's performance, hence eliminating or reducing the need for government economic intervention, attract private investment and foster innovation. Furthermore, privatizations have been utilized to promote competition in monopolized industries. By transitioning from state control to private ownership, these enterprises are envisioned to become more agile, responsive to market dynamics, and better positioned to contribute significantly to the nation’s socio-e...

Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in Kenya

Mar 24, 2024

Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) refer to investments made by a firm or individual in one country into business interests located in another country. Generally, FDI takes place when an investor establishes foreign business operations or acquires foreign business assets, including establishing ownership or controlling interest in a foreign company. FDIs are crucial for economic growth as they not only bring investment capital but also facilitate technology transfer, management skills, and international trade integration, which can lead to higher productivity, employment, and economic stability in the host country. Despite the increase in Kenya’s FDI to USD 0.8 bn in 2022, from USD 0.5 bn in 2021, the country has been experiencing dwindling FDIs amongst her peers, hence our interest into delving in this topical. We shall do an in-depth analysis of the historical trend of FDIs in the country, compare it to other developed and peer economies, as well as give actionable in...

Nairobi Metropolitan Area Commercial Office Report 2024

Mar 17, 2024

In 2023, we published the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Commercial Office Report 2023 themed ‘Persisting Tenant’s Market’. The report provided an in-depth analysis of the sector's performance in 2022, along with insights into future prospects and investment opportunities. According to the report, the sector experienced notable improvements, with average rental yields reaching 7.6% in 2022, up by 0.3% points from the 7.3% recorded in 2021, attributable to increased occupancy and rental rates. Occupancy rates also saw a significant uptick, rising by 1.8% points to reach 79.4% in 2022, compared to 77.6% in 2021. Despite some firms continuing to adopt work-from-home policies, the demand for office space remained robust as more firms resumed full operations. Asking rents and prices increased to an average of Kshs 96 and Kshs 12,223 per SQFT respectively in 2022, from Kshs 94 and Kshs 12,106 per...

Kenya Retirement Benefits Scheme 2023 Review

Mar 10, 2024

According to the ACTSERV 2023 Retirement Benefits Schemes Investments Performance Survey, segregated retirement benefits schemes recorded a 3.1% return in 2023, up from the 2.3% recorded in 2022. The increase was largely supported by the performance of offshore investments made by the schemes which recorded a significant 10.6% gain to 18.0%, up from the 7.4% gain recorded in 2022, on the back of positive investor sentiment from higher valuations, and the shilling depreciation which made for better earnings prospects from foreign currencies. Additionally, in H1’2023, the retirement benefits schemes’ Assets under Management increased by 12.4% to...

FY’2023 Unit Trust Funds Performance

Mar 3, 2024

Unit Trust Funds (UTFs) are a type of Collective Investment Scheme that pool funds from various investors to collectively invest in a diversified portfolio of assets, managed by a Fund Manager, with the aim of generating returns for the investors. These funds are overseen by expert fund managers who allocate the collected capital into a diverse range of securities like equities, bonds, or other approved financial securities. The goal is to yield returns that align with the fund’s specific objectives. Following the release of the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) Quarterly CIS Report-Q4'2023, we examine the performance of Unit Trust Funds for the period ended 31st December 2023. These funds have seen consistent growth in total Assets Under Management (AUM) and are one of the preferred investment choices in Kenya. Additionally, we will delve into the performance of Mo...