Business
Zenith Bank, Unilever, BUA Cement top stock pick this week
The earnings’ season is here once more, with the half-year period already gone past and the publication of corporate results set to commence any moment soon.
The largely positive investor sentiment that dominated trade in that period drove a sweeping rally in Nigerian stocks January though June. That positive has made the country’s equity market the best-performing in the world in dollar terms.
If half-year corporate reports come out stronger than they were a year ago, the market could ride on that momentum to turn out a fabulous yield that could meet investors’ expectations in the short term.
“Nevertheless, we expect pockets of bargain hunting to emerge as investors gradually position ahead of the H1:2026 earnings season, particularly in fundamentally sound stocks that have become more attractively valued following the recent market pullback,” analysts at Meristem Securities said in their note to investors last week.
“We also expect companies with strong earnings prospects and attractive interim dividend potential to continue attracting selective buying interest.”
PREMIUM TIMES has assembled some stocks with sound fundamentals, adopting rigorous approaches to save you the risk of picking equities at random for investment.
The pick, a product of an analytical market watch, offers a guide to entering the market and taking strategic positions, with the expectation that selected stocks will record reasonable price appreciation with the passage of time.
This is not a buy, sell or hold recommendation but a stock investment guide. You may need to involve your financial advisor before taking investment decisions.
Zenith Bank
Zenith Bank tops this week’s pick on the basis of its strong fundamentals and for trading below its intrinsic value. The lender’s net profit ratio (NPR) is 21.8 per cent, while the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio is 4.4x. Its 14-day relative strength index (RSI) is 41.6.
Unilever
Unilever makes the selection for its strong fundamentals. The NPR of the consumer goods company is 14.8 per cent, while the PE ratio is 21.4x. Its 14-day RSI is 14.1.
BUA Cement
BUA Cement appears on the pick on the basis of its attractive fundamentals. The NPR of the cement manufacturer is 36.4 per cent, while the PE ratio is 25.5x. The 14-day RSI is 0.
READ ALSO: Zenith Bank backs Canada-Africa Business Conference to deepen trade, investment ties
Coronation Insurance
Coronation Insurance makes the selection by virtue of its strong fundamentals. The NPR of the insurer is 19.8 per cent, while the PE ratio is 8.1x. Its 14-day RSI is 46.2.
UACN
UACN makes the cut based on its strong fundamentals. The NPR of the conglomerate is 2.3x, while the PE ratio is 26.2x. Its 14-day RSI is 53.
Investment company VFD Group recorded a twofold increase in net profit for the first half of the year, supported by a significant improvement in investment income, its unaudited report for the period issued Friday showed.
VFD Group is proprietary and investment-focused, meaning it invests in target companies for direct market gain, unlike investment banks, which invest on behalf of others.
It has investments in companies as diverse as the Nigerian Exchange Group, Veritas Kapital Assurance, NASD Plc and CSCS Plc, according to information on its website.
Revenue advanced to N53.7 billion from N41.2 billion a year ago, deriving strength largely from investment income, which was up by 102.8 per cent. Net investment income expanded by 19.8 per cent to N42 billion from N35 billion.
The company logged a sharp increase in other income, which surged more than sevenfold to N3.8 billion after earning N3.9 billion in fair value gain in investment property, unlike a year earlier when no such income was recorded.
It cut back provision for impairment of financial assets, especially loans and advances, by nearly half to N657.5 million.
“The first half of 2026 performance demonstrates the value of disciplined execution in a market that continues to reward thoughtful execution,” said Managing Director Nonso Okpala in a statement.
“Profit grew more than three times faster than revenue because we remain focused on deploying capital only where risk-adjusted returns justify,” he added.
The company earned N79.1 million in share of profit from associate, compared to N22 million one year prior, boosting pre-tax profit.
EBIT margin, a parameter that gauges the operating profitability of a company, stood at 62.5 per cent, slightly weaker than the 66 per cent recorded in the same period of 2025.
Profit before tax climbed 98.4 per cent to N12 billion, while after-tax profit increased to N10.1 billion from N5 billion.
READ ALSO: Aradel’s half-year profit grows far less than revenue as galloping costs bite
In a separate announcement on Friday, the board of directors declared an interim dividend of N0.24 per share, translating into a potential payout of N3 billion.
“We enter the second half of the year with the strongest capital position in the group’s history, a materially lower cost of funding, and a portfolio of high-quality earning assets,” Folajimi Adeleye, the executive director for finance, said.
“Our priority now is straightforward: ensuring that every naira of new capital consistently generates returns that exceed the cost of the debt it replaced,” he said further.
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