Diamond Bank has said there are viable investment windows that would help restore investor confidence and shore up asset value and return on investment despite the currently challenges of slump in the price of crude oil and the value of the Naira.
Speaking at the “Diamond Privilege seminar” with the theme: “Investing in 2016, Riding the Storm, Unearthing the Opportunities,” in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Uzoma Dozie, noted that although the investment environment has remained volatile, there was hope as one of the bank’s strategic focus is the commitment to help investors navigate to other sectors that would yield optimum return on investment.
According to him, Diamond Privilege, the bank’s wealth management unit is fortified with knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated personnel that are ready to work with clients, guiding them appropriately to identify and leverage market opportunities.
“We are driven by the clear need to address issues around current market volatility while highlighting the tremendous opportunities that would deliver significant yields to the confident and discerning investors,” he said.
The Chief Speaker at the seminar and Founder of Agusto & Co, Bode Agusto, the discussion panelists, led by Head of Consumer Banking at the bank, Aishah Ahmad, agreed that investment opportunities abound in real estate, education, health and agricultural sectors of the economy.
They also pointed the huge investment opportunities in companies that are non-import dependent, critical sectors of the economy like electricity energy and FGN bonds especially as the borrowing level of the government to fund the budget is expected to rise.
Agusto noted that the key prices in every economy include interest rates, inflation rates, exchange rates and identified a fourth key price for Nigeria, the “the price of crude oil.”
He identified investment opportunities as listed equities with strong fundamentals and competitive valuations, private equity investments in education and healthcare and real estate. He argued that some people who used to go abroad for routine medical care and secondary education will look to local persons that can provide equally good service at competitive prices.
Reiterating Agusto’s position, other discussants which include Fixed Income Analysts, Diamond Bank, Emeka Uzomba, Real Estate Specialist, Paul Onwuanibe and Equity Market Analyst, Titi Odunfa-Adeoye stated that opportunities in the equities market are areas that should be treaded cautiously.
They strongly recommended that investors should adhere to the global portfolio analysis, offered by Diamond Privilege, which enables clients review their investment portfolios from a risk and return perspective to ensure that they were generating the highest yields possible.
