Business

Top trader Vitol sees chance of steep oil price fall

Published

12 years ago

November 4, 2013

Oil prices could drop by as much as $15 per barrel should countries such as Libya restore production and sanctions on Iran be eased, forcing some of the most expensive U.S. oil projects to stop pumping, the head of the world’s largest oil trader said.
Ian Taylor, chief executive of Swiss trading house Vitol VITOLV.UL, said he also expected a number of European refineries to close in the next few years under tremendous competitive pressure from rivals in the Middle East and Asia.
“We see a constant structural length in the dated Brent market and the West African sweet market and we are not quite sure how it clears yet,” Taylor told the Reuters Global Commodities Summit.
“If Libya does come back, God knows where that oil goes… And goodness knows what happens if Iran comes back. Perhaps the only way the market can actually clear properly is to begin to threaten the lower ranges, and therefore begin to threaten some of the higher cost developments and production.”
The United States is set to become the world’s biggest oil producer next year, overtaking Russia, and a spike in U.S. oil production has helped offset big supply outages from Libya, Iraq, Iran and Nigeria in recent months. Taylor said that if most supply problems were solved, European benchmark Brent prices could come down to $90-$95 per barrel from the current $105 while U.S. WTI prices may decline to $80-$85 from the current $95. “Then I think OPEC might begin to get worried,” said Taylor.
Vitol made a foray into European refining last year and Taylor said the company could look at new opportunities in the future although he said the sector would have to shrink as it faces very low profitability on refining crude into products.
“It has been a disaster over the last two or three months as you all know… I believe that significant portions of the European refining business probably need to close over the next three or four years,” he said. Taylor said he could see up to one million barrels per day or a roughly one tenth of current capacity in Europe closing down, especially outdated refineries in the Mediterranean.
“I think you’re going to see a constant battle between the big European majors, Europe, the politicians about this… I’m not sure what the result is going to be but the answer is we know the UK does not need seven or eight refineries.” He added that Vitol could still buy plants.
“It depends what else it brings. If it brings a lot of flow with it you could always value your refinery in a negative sense if there are a lot of other things you get with the deal. But certainly I don’t think you are going to see us keen to pay multiples for refining
Vitol and most of its rivals such as Glencore (GLEN.L) or Gunvor have been chasing bigger trading volumes in recent years to compensate for shrinking profitability amid lower market volatility.
Taylor said he expected the trading environment to remain difficult as traders have to compete with traditional rivals such as oil majors but also increasingly with national oil companies aggressively pursuing incremental trading profits.
“I do expect it to be incredibly tough. I do expect to see a continuation of trading companies buying selective assets to try to increase their optimization possibilities. Volumes among the trading houses will probably come off a little bit rather than increase because at the end of the day demand for oil isn’t going up that much.”
Taylor said that unless oil prices dropped sharply, there were realistic prospects for liquefied natural gas (LNG) to become a major fuel in the transport sector as big U.S. and Chinese manufacturers were already shifting towards using gas.
“The pollution question in China is huge so they will shift more towards gas for transportation and in power (generation), no matter how high the price is,” Taylor said.
The move will come largely at the cost of lower coal use, which is dirtier than gas but is still the world’s dominant electricity fuel.
“I personally worry that coal is going to be a problem as demand will come off much faster than we think,” Taylor said. Natural gas is currently less profitable as a fuel for generating power but the U.S. boom in shale gas drilling has led to a collapse in gas prices there. The U.S. is expected to begin exporting LNG by 2015, which many users in Europe and Asia hope will help bring down prices there as well. Taylor said Vitol was unlikely to invest into LNG assets on a big scale but added that smaller floating LNG terminals could be an option.
U.S.
Taylor said that in North America Vitol had made investments in pipeline and storage tank capacity in Texas’s Permian basin, but that the firm’s trading focus was likely to remain on seaborne shipments rather than competing directly with inland producers and refineries. He said news that Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ 350,000-barrel-per-day refinery was bringing in up to one-fifth of the oil output from the Bakken shale fields in North Dakota may provide opportunities in finding homes for oil backed out of the United States.
“I think it is significant that people like the Philadelphia refinery are buying in significant amounts of crude by rail, and they were previously one of the biggest buyers of Nigerian crude,” Taylor said.
“Now they’re going to be buying 250,000 barrels per day of railed Bakken crude and very little Nigerian, and that’s the bit of the trade we need to work on.”
U.S. Gulf Coast refiners that benefit from the shale oil boom are supplying the U.S. East Coast and Canada, which will require less North Sea and West African crude, Taylor said. Where exactly that crude oil price moves is still a very big question which we haven’t really got to grips with in 2013… I am hoping it will be European refinery systems that get a little bit of a break because obviously they’ve been struggling pretty badly over the last two or three months,” he said.
But at the same time, the increased flow of diesel from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Europe “could potentially put a lot more pressure on margins in Europe and to a certain extent we are seeing that already”.
Asked whether Saudi Arabia would continue to sell large quantities of oil into the United States given the weak price relative to sales elsewhere, Taylor said he could see reasons for Saudi Arabia to keep doing this from a strategic perspective, but no rationale for other exporters.
“For Venezuela and Mexico, who in some ways have greater revenue concerns than Saudi, arguably they shouldn’t be putting any oil into the U.S. at all at current differentials. The way differentials are at the moment, nobody should be exporting to the U.S. at all.”
Reuters

Business

FG earned N2.78trn from Company Income Tax in second quarter 2025—NBS

Published

1 week ago

November 28, 2025

Business News Report

National Bureau of Statistics has said that Nigeria’s Company Income Tax rose sharply in the second quarter of 2025, hitting N2.78 trillion.

The figure represents a significant 40.27 per cent increase compared to the N1.98 trillion recorded in the first quarter of the year, reflecting both improved tax compliance and stronger corporate performance across key economic sectors.

The NBS report said that domestic company income tax payments accounted for the bulk of the revenue, contributing N2.31 trillion, while offshore collections stood at N469.36 billion during the period under review.

According to the NBS, the financial and insurance sector recorded the highest quarter-on-quarter growth, rising by an astonishing 772.29 per cent, driven by improved profitability among banks, fintechs, and insurance firms following robust half-year earnings.

This, according to NBS, was followed by wholesale and retail trade, as well as motor vehicle repair activities, which grew by 538.38%.

Activities of households as employers also surged by 526.79%, although their overall contribution to total company income tax remained negligible.

On the flip side, some sectors experienced sharp declines in company income tax remittances.

Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies dropped by –45.01%, while education, public administration, defence, and compulsory social security recorded declines of –26.61% and –18.17% respectively.

The contraction in these sectors, particularly education and public administration, highlights persistent structural and fiscal challenges confronting government-funded institutions.

In terms of contribution to total tax revenue, financial and insurance activities led with a dominant 44.13%, reflecting the sector’s continuing expansion and strong capital flows.

Manufacturing followed with 15.57%, bolstered by increased production output and improved supply chain activity.

Mining and quarrying ranked third, contributing 9.18%, supported by higher commodity prices and renewed interest in solid mineral development.

At the bottom of the contribution chart were activities of households as employers, which accounted for just 0.01%, as well as activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies, and water supply, sewerage, waste management, and remediation services, each contributing 0.04%. Despite economic headwinds, year-on-year company income tax collection still rose by 12.66% when compared to Q2 2024, underscoring moderate but steady improvement in government revenue mobilisation.

Company income tax collection in the same period of 2024 rose by 150.83 per cent N2.47 trillion. In the first three months of the year, company income tax collection stood at N984.61 billion. According to the report, local payments in the period under review amounted to N1.35 trillion, while foreign CIT payments contributed N1.12 trillion. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors exhibited the highest growth rate at 474.50%, followed by financial and insurance activities at 429.76%, and manufacturing at 414.15%.

Business

Lagos govt promises MSMEs continued visibility, market access

Published

3 weeks ago

November 16, 2025

Business News Report

Lagos State government has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the state through visibility, capacity building, and market access. Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade, and Investment, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, made the pledge on Sunday at the closing ceremony of the 2025 Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF). The 38th edition of the event, organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), had its theme as “Connecting Business, Creating Value.”

Ms Ambrose-Medebem said every entrepreneur, regardless of scale, deserves an enabling environment to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the state’s economic prosperity. She said the state, through strategic investments in infrastructure, institutional reforms, and continuous engagement with the private sector, was building a Lagos that worked for business. The commissioner added that the state would continue to foster innovation, competitiveness, and sustainability.

“As a government, we remain steadfast in our commitment to making Lagos the preferred destination for commerce and enterprise. This fair has once again demonstrated the power of connection: connection between producers and consumers, investors and innovators, the government and the private sector, and local entrepreneurs and global brands. Every handshake, every conversation, every business card exchanged here is a building block toward the future we are creating, a future of prosperity that leaves no one behind,” she said.

The commissioner urged businesses to continue to connect, collaborate, and create value, saying, “In Lagos, we do not just trade goods; we trade ideas, build futures, and transform lives. “Together, let us continue to make Lagos not just a place of commerce, but a symbol of progress, innovation, and endless opportunity.” Gabriel Idahosa, president of LCCI, urged governments at all levels to continue addressing the issues of creating an enabling environment in the country.Mr Idahosa said focus should be on infrastructure, security, and implementing the right policies to address the key drivers of high inflation.

This, he said, was needed to fully harness the vast enterprising resources of domestic and foreign investors for the diversification of our economy and the welfare of our people. He pledged the commitment of the organised private sector to stand solidly behind the state in its quest to actualise its innovative initiatives on all fronts. NAN

Business

Jumia posts $17.7m pre-tax loss in Q3, down 1% in 12 Months

Published

3 weeks ago

November 12, 2025

Business News Report

Jumia Technologies AG posts a $17.7 million loss before income tax in the third quarter of 2025, down 1% year-on-year from $17.8 million in the third quarter of 2024. The road to profitability has remained long as ecommerce continues to face uncertainties, including widening competition with rivals in the same industry. The e-commerce company revenue came in at $45.6 million compared to $36.4 million in the third quarter of 2024, representing a 25% year-over-year surge in the period. The company reported gross merchandise value of $197.2 million compared to $162.9 million in the third quarter of 2024, up 21% year-over-year. Excluding South Africa and Tunisia, physical goods GMV grew 26% year-over-year, Jumia revealed in the unaudited financials.

Jumia said in its report that the GMV growth was driven by supply and strong marketing execution, partially offset by lower corporate sales in Egypt. Excluding corporate sales, GMV in reported currency grew 37% year-over-year. Nigeria’s momentum accelerated, with order growth up 30% and GMV up 43% year-over-year, Jumia said. The e-commerce giant’s operating loss reduced by 13% year-over-year to $17.4 million compared to $20.1 million in the third quarter of 2024. The company’s adjusted earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation loss dropped by 17% to $14.0 million compared to $17.0 million in the third quarter of 2024.

Jumia reported a loss before income tax of $17.7 million, a slight reduction of 1% compared to $17.8 million in the third quarter of 2024. Liquidity printed at $82.5 million, a decrease of $15.8 million in the third quarter of 2025, compared to an increase of $71.8 million in the third quarter of 2024, which included the net proceeds from the August 2024 At-the-Market (ATM) offering, and a decrease of $12.4 million in the second quarter of 2025.

Its net cash flow used in operating activities settled at $12.4 million compared to net cash flow used in operating activities of $26.8 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $12.7 million used in the second quarter of 2025. The result includes a positive working capital contribution of $0.4 million.

Jumia reported that customers’ orders grew 34% year-over-year, driven by strong execution, enhanced product assortment, and healthy consumer demand across key categories. It said quarterly active customers ordering physical goods grew by 23% year-over-year, highlighting continued engagement and customer loyalty. As of September 30, 2025, the Company’s liquidity position was $82.5 million, comprised of $81.5 million in cash and cash equivalents and $1.0 million in term deposits and other financial assets, it said in the report Jumia’s liquidity position decreased by $15.8 million in the third quarter of 2025, compared to an increase of $71.8 million in the third quarter of 2024, which included net proceeds from the August 2024 At-the-Market (ATM) offering, and a decrease of $12.4 million in the second quarter of 2025.

Net cash used in operating activities was $12.4 million in the third quarter of 2025, compared to a net cash used of $26.8 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $12.7 million used in the second quarter of 2025. The result includes a positive working capital contribution of $0.4 million in the third quarter of 2025, compared to a negative working capital contribution of $9.1 million in the third quarter of 2024, primarily reflecting improvements in operating performance.

In addition, the Company reported $1.4 million in capital expenditures in the third quarter of 2025, compared to $0.9 million in the third quarter of 2024, primarily reflecting investments in infrastructure and facility enhancements to support business growth. “This quarter marks a significant acceleration in customer demand and order growth, driven by strong execution across our markets and growing consumer trust in the Jumia brand. We believe Jumia has reached an inflection point as our compelling value proposition, and improved operational discipline position us for sustainable, profitable growth.

“We continue to strengthen our cost structure and sharpen operational discipline, reinforcing our path toward profitability. Our focus remains on execution and customer engagement as we build a more efficient business.
“We believe that we are on track to reach breakeven on a Loss before Income tax basis in Q4 2026 and achieve full-year profitability in 2027, positioning Jumia for long-term growth and value creation.”