Guinness Nigeria shareholders approve N40 billion rights issue

24 Jan 2017
Financial Nigeria

Summary

Guinness Nigeria said it is now in a position to raise up to N40 billion as fresh cash injection into its business operations.

Bismarck Rewane and other Directors and Executives of Guiness Nigeria Pls at the Extra-Ordinary General Meeting

The shareholders of Guinness Nigeria have approved the company’s proposed rights issue during an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting held in Lagos on Tuesday. Guinness Nigeria – which is a subsidiary of London-based beverages giant, Diageo – had announced its intention last year to seek shareholder approval to offer a rights issue as part of plans to optimise its balance sheet and improve financial flexibility.

With shareholders having given the green light, Guinness Nigeria said it is now in a position to raise up to N40 billion as fresh cash injection into its business operations.

“We believe this rights issue will positively impact on the financial performance of Guinness Nigeria and help mitigate the impact of increasing finance costs in what continues to be a challenging economic environment in Nigeria,” said Babatunde Savage, the Chairman of Guinness Nigeria. “I call on all my fellow shareholders to take this opportunity and support the company’s objectives.”

In October last year, Guinness Nigeria reported its first full-year loss in over 30 years as the country’s deteriorating economic conditions reduced demand for the company’s products. The company said after-tax loss stood at N2.01 billion as against an after-tax profit of N7.79 billion a year earlier. Revenues fell by 14 percent to N101.97 billion compared with N118.5 billion a year earlier.

“Guinness Nigeria is a company with excellent fundamentals and we have the right strategy and the right people to grow our business for the future,” said Peter Ndegwa, Guinness Nigeria CEO. “This rights issue in combination with our productivity and cost optimization drive will help provide the fuel to continue to build this business for Nigeria and Nigerians.”

Guinness Nigeria is the country’s second largest brewer after Nigerian Breweries. The company’s stock closed at N71 per share at the Nigerian Stock Exchange today, up 3.65 percent from the previous day’s close.



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