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Recent Topicals

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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Corporate Governance in Kenya

Mar 13, 2016

This week the Capital Markets Authority published the “Code of Corporate Governance Practices” for public listed companies in Kenya, which were Gazetted on 4th March, 2016. The new Corporate Governance Code replaces the Guidelines on Corporate Governance, and listed companies will have a transition period of one year from the date of gazettement to come into compliance.The new code of governance is based on “apply or explain” principle, a paradigm shift from the “comply or explain” approach of their previous guidelines, which have been in place since 2002. The “comply or explain” approach lets individual companies to decide whether to follow set codes or not but the “apply or explain” approach requires companies to actually follow the set out corporate governance codes.Corporate governance is founded on the pillars that businesses have to practice accountability to stakeholders, fairness, have transparency in business activities and exhibit...

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