We research widely to deliver unique insights.

---

Recent Topicals

---

Mortgage and Rental Affordability in Nairobi Metropolis

Apr 24, 2016

In September 2015, see Cytonn Report #37, we did a focus note on the mortgage market in Kenya, essentially looking at why the uptake of mortgages remained low; currently at only 22,000 mortgages for a country of 44 million people with the total mortgage values equating to 2.7% of GDP, compared to, say, South Africa, where mortgage values to GDP equal about 24.2%.For a country of 44 million people, with a population growth rate of 2.4% p.a, an effective housing deficit reported to be 200,000 per annum, with an increasing disposable income and a growing construction and real estate industry, it is a contradiction that mortgage uptake remains very low. Especially given that the real estate sector contribution to the GDP has grown from 8.0% in 2010 to 14.5% in the last quarter of 2015 while the sector’s total return remains very attractive at about 25% p.a over the last 5 years.To under...

---

Corporate Governance in Kenya

Apr 17, 2016

When the Capital Markets Authority, “CMA” published a “Code of Corporate Governance Practices” last month, we did a focus note on Corporate Governance in Kenya . In that focus note, we highlighted instances where potential corporate governance malpractices may have contributed to significant loses to the investing public to the tune of approximately Kshs. 257.0 bn. We then made suggestions on how to improve corporate governance. In this note, we update the count of recent losses due to corporate governance, we then review how we can improve corporate governance in this market and highlight our upcoming Corporate Governance Index.Since the March 2016 article, we have had two more instances of significant investor loses that are primarily about corporate governance and ethics - the collapse of Chase Bank and the management changes at National Bank of Kenya (NBK). Not even considering any potential deposi...

---

Kenyan Banking Sector

Apr 10, 2016

Following the release of the FY’2015 results by banks, we carried out an analysis on Kenya’s banking sector to decipher any material changes from our Q3’2015 banking report. In our analysis of the banking sector, we recommend to our investors which banks are the most attractive and stable for investment from a franchise value and from a future growth opportunity perspective. See report at: Cytonn Downloads.The report was themed “A Sector in Volatile Transition” to sustainable and stable growth, and two days after the report, Chase Bank, a mid-tier bank, was placed under receivership. This was the third bank in Kenya to fail over the last one year.Consequently, this week we give a quick status overview of the Kenya banking sector 2015 financial performance, explain what is going on in the se...

---

Structured Products

Mar 27, 2016

In reference to our Focus of the week in May 2015, where we focused on structured products, it was in the investors’ best interest to discuss the topic again considering the recent poor performance of the traditional investments (equities and fixed income, where we are neutral on their performance). This has led to investors seeking investment opportunities in the alternative asset classes such as structured products, which deliver above average returns over the long term.Having discussed our view on equities and fixed income investments last week, we will now delve into alternative investments, starting with structured products: we will describe what they are, how the products are able to achieve higher returns, discuss the benefits and challenges of structured products, and give an investable example.Structured products are investment solutions that are packaged by investment professionals to enable an inv...

---

Kenya’s Interest Rate Outlook

Mar 20, 2016

In our Cytonn Weekly Report #42 (2015), we analyzed the interest rate environment and what was driving the rapid upward trend that we witnessed in Q3’2015. A lot has transpired since then, and the interest rates have declined to levels witnessed at a similar period last year. The aim of this piece is to first give a background of the challenges witnessed in Q3’2015, review the drivers of the high interest rate environment, understand the underlying factors driving the interest rate environment currently, and finally end with what we believe will transpire in the near future.2015 RecapThe interest rate environment in Kenya witnessed volatility in the last calendar year, with a sharp increase in rates highlighting the challenging economic environment. This was evidenced by the 91-day Treasury bill rising from 8.6% in December 2014, to peak at 22.5% in October 2015. This high int...

---

• «
• 1
• 2
• ...
• 79
• 80
• 81
• 82
• 83
• 84
• 85
• ...
• 88
• 89
• »