Big gains in Ghana Stocks

The Ghana Stock Market is up 68 percent for the year to the end of September, even as interest rates were raised from 11 percent to 21 percent on T-bills in response to depreciation of the local currency. The increase in T-bill rates took effect last year and for most of 2013.

Ghana’s economy grew by 7.9 percent last year and is projected to grow 7 percent in 2013, this according to the statement made by the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday. Notwithstanding the forecast for strong growth, the funding agency said, “It will be difficult for Ghana to keep its budget deficit below 10 percent this year.” However, the government says its deficit will fall to 9 percent this year from 12.1 percent in 2012.

One key risk for the economy of Ghana, an exporter of cocoa, gold and oil, is its current account deficit, which will rise to 13 percent of gross domestic product this year, the IMF said.

Headline inflation stayed within the target range of 8.5 per cent ± 2 per cent in 2012 but has climbed to 11.5 percent in August this year. Monetary policy faced a major challenge of dealing with a rapidly depreciating currency in the first half of 2012. Monetary policy was tightened thus moving rates from 11 percent to 21 percent on Treasury Bills. The exchange rate slipped from 1.64 cedi to the US dollar to 2 cedi to the US dollar.

It against this background that several stocks listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange recorded sharp gains with 7 gaining more than 100 percent with the star performer being PZ Cussons, a company that manufactures and distributes soaps and electricals, rising 400 percent and Enterprise Group, a business development and management consultancy company, rising by 298 percent.