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Absa Group to raise stake in Kenyan unit to 72%; Equity Bank reports half year results

  • Equity Group Holdings to release its half year earnings report this morning before markets open.
  • Absa Group will raise its stake in Absa Bank Kenya to about 72 per cent after buying 189.4 million shares in a tender offer at Sh34.50 each.
  • Minority shareholders tendered 189,981,668 shares, of which 189,380,644 were accepted, representing about 21 percent of the maximum number of shares targeted in the offer.
  • 18 State owned corporations to be registered as public companies in new proposal
    18 state-owned corporations are set to be re-registered as public limited companies (PLCs) if Parliament passes a new Bill that aims to transform their governance and financial operations.
    Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah tabled the proposal in the National Assembly, naming key agencies set for the shift, including:
    • Kenya Ports Authority
    • Kenya Railways Corporation
    • Kenya Literature Bureau
    • Kenya Airports Authority
    • Nyayo Tea Zones Development Corporation
    • Agricultural Finance Corporation
    • Commodities Fund
    • Kenya Post Office Savings Bank
    • Kenya Meat Commission
    • Kenya Fishing Industries Corporation
    • National Mining Corporation
    • Kenya Veterinary Vaccine Production Institute
    • Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
    • National Cereals and Produce Board
    • Kenyatta International Convention Centre
    • Agricultural Development Corporation
  • Sameer Africa half year profit drops 26%
    Sameer Africa half year earnings dropped by 25 per cent to Sh86.7 million for the half year ending June 2025. Operating profit was up 51 per cent buoyed by higher revenue and lower operating expenses.
    However, a drop in net finance income by Sh56.5 million reduced the pre-tax profit of the company by 11 per cent to Sh119.9 million compared to Sh135.3 million posted in the prior period.
  • Kenya Re half year profit rise 49% to Sh1.58B
    Kenya Re half year profit grew 49% to Sh1.58B for the period ended June 2025 driven by a huge drop in net foreign exchange loss that fell 97% to Sh22 million from Sh844 million in the prior period.
    Even though the half year profit grew, earnings per share was down to Sh0.28 from 0.38 last year due to the effect of bonus issue conducted last year.
  • Poa Internet raise Sh520 million from Finnfund
    Poa Internet, a Kenyan internet service provider, has secured Sh520 million debt investment from Finnfund.
    Finnfund is Finland's development finance institution that provides long-term investment loans and risk capital to private projects in developing markets.
  • Kenya Airways shares down 22% in early trading
    Kenya Airways shares have dropped 22% in early trading to trade at Sh3.90. The listed airline posted a half-year loss of Sh12.15 billion.
  • CIC Group's half year profit falls 10% to Sh638M
    CIC Group's half year profit dropped by 10% to Sh638 million from Sh710 it posted last year during the same period. The drop was driven by a rise in insurance expenses which grew by 23 per cent to Sh10.4 billion.
  • Central Bank of Kenya revises loan pricing model
    The Central Bank of Kenya has issued a revised loan pricing model to be used by banks after extensive consultations with players in the banking industry.
    The new loan pricing model will be anchored on the overnight interbank average rate, which has now been renamed to Kenya Shilling Overnight Interbank Average(KESONIA). Banks will be required to use KESONIA as the base rate when computing a customer's lending rate. The rate will be applicable to all variable rate loans except foreign denominated loans.