NASD reports 646% profit growth

… proposes dividend, bonus shares

NASD OTC Exchange Plc has released the financial results for the first half (H1) of 2025, with significant improvements across all major performance indicators.

According to the company, this follows a positive 2024 financial year-end performance from which the Board proposes a cash dividend of 20 kobo per ordinary share and a bonus share issue of one new share for every five held.

These proposals will be presented for approval at the Company’s Annual General Meeting scheduled for this August.

For the six months ended June 30, 2025, NASD reported a 308 percent increase in revenue, reaching N657 million, compared to N161 million in the same period last year. Profit Before Tax (PBT) rose dramatically by 646 percent, hitting N341 million versusa loss of N63 million in H1 2024, signalling a strong financial rebound. Operational efficiency improved significantly, with the cost-to-income ratio declining to 48 percent, from 139 percent.

A standout figure in the period was originating income, which soared to N332 million, up from just N1.3 million in the previous year, an extraordinary 26,000 percent increase, driven by strategic focus and improved market engagement.

Speaking at a media briefing held in Lagos over the weekend, Eguarekhide Longe, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NASD Plc shared insights on the Company’s performance and market trajectory.

Longe noted that NASD’s share price has appreciated by 93.29 percent year-to-date, climbing from N15.51 on January 1, 2025, to N29.98 as of July 31, 2025.

According to him, since NASD’s listing on the Nigerian capital market in 2013 at an offer price of N1.50, the share price has surged by 1,898 percent, translating to a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 28.35 percent.

“We are proud of our strong performance in the first half of 2025. This financial turnaround highlights the resilience of our business model, the success of our strategic initiatives, and our commitment to delivering exceptional value to our shareholders,” said the NASD management.

“These results reaffirm our focus on sustainable growth, operational efficiency, and long-term value creation. We deeply appreciate the continued support and patience of our shareholders.” Longe also highlighted NASD’s innovation-driven platforms aimed at deepening market participation and enterprise value creation.

“Our flagship offering is the OTC Securities Exchange—a trading platform for unlisted public companies. We have also developed solutions such as the NASD Enterprise Portal (NASD eP), VentureRamp, NASD Digital Securities Platform (N-DSP), and the NASD Commercial Paper Platform. Our core mission is to facilitate enterprise growth and unlock value across sectors. We are particularly exploring opportunities in the solid minerals sector and plan to launch innovative products, including digitised securities backed by real-world assets like real estate. We aim to attract younger investors, especially millennials and Gen Z, through technology-led offerings,” he said.

He urges the Federal Government to support the capital market by encouraging public limited liability companies to list on NASD through appropriate incentives, noting that it will further deepen market access and economic development.