Capital Markets

Regionalism is a feature not only of Francophone West Africa’s monetary regime and banking sector, but also of its financial markets. The bond market is dominated by sovereign issues from Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, the two largest economies in the region. The equity market has two capitalisations – Sonatel and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated – while most of the companies listed from Côte d’Ivoire. Although traded volume and market capitalisation have been on the rise in recent years and financial performance has been impressive, the regional financial markets remain a marginal source of funding, except for governments. Unlike some of Africa’s larger, more dynamic exchanges, the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM) has been stagnant in recent years, with few new equity listings. The markets are limited to trading of shares and bonds, although moves are afoot to open up the exchange to smaller businesses, and to the development of derivative products and commodities.