How fast does information reflect in the prices of shares on the Ghana Stock Exchange?

The question about efficiency of the capital market always comes up in my mind. And now I am asking how fast information released by stakeholders of the market affects or reflect on prices on the exchange.

Shareholders make investment decisions based on the information they get from stakeholders of the market. Such information include new tax measures announced by the government, announcement of new products by the company, release of annual reports and announcement of higher or lower dividends. In the advanced markets, for instance on Wall Street, information released by companies or the government rapidly reflects on the prices of shares within minutes. Information release at non-trading hours affects the market in the next trading session.

In the Ghanaian market on the other hand, one can hardly tell the relationship between information and their effect on the prices in the market. Moreover, the speed of reflection on the market varies from time to time.
In the immediate past, CAL Bank share price saw a decrease when there was a problem in the company with respect to share transfer between two parties. How direct and certain can one be to link the cause of decrease in share price to that particular information? Other stocks in the market have shown similar trend. By my observations in the earnings season, share prices respond to the performance of companies as reported by their financial. Even at this time, the speed of reflection is an issue to be concerned about.

 I can’t wait for the capital market to reach the point where information takes minutes to reflect on the market. This would make the market active and inform investors in making good decisions moreover, aiding accurate speculations.

What you should know about Accra Hearts of Oak and their IPO

Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club popularly known as PHOBIA was one of the earliest clubs to be formed in Ghana in November, 1911. This sporting club has currently issued an initial public offer and this is the first of its kind in Africa. If this IPO is successful, shares would be listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange and would make a historic mark in the IPO records in Ghana and Africa as a whole.

There are so many things that make an IPO successful and some important factors to consider are the financial status and future prospects of the company. Accra Hearts of Oak although currently in debt has assured the public that its operations would change drastically in a positive way after the IPO. The Board Chairman, Mr. E. M. Commodore-Mensah says the capital from the IPO would be used to enhance activities in the club. Experts are predicting that, this IPO would be successful because of the support or fan base of the club and the sentiments attached to the club by the fans. Apart from Kumasi Ashanti Kotoko (a football club), Hearts of Oak has the largest fan base in Ghana.  Nevertheless, people are with the view that the price per share (0.50p) is too expensive looking at the stature of the club.

Hearts of Oak has won twenty (20) titles in the Ghana Premier League and six of them were consecutive (1997 to 2002). The Sporting club has also won nine (9) championships in the FA cup and had one CAF championship league title in 2000. In addition, they are seven times winners of the Ghana Telecom Gala. One of the most prestigious cups in Ghana is the Top Four Cup and Accra Hearts of Oak has won it for three (3) times and was African Super Cup champion in 2001.

With all these wins, it is quite obvious that there is a lot more to do, now that the Ghana Premier league and other leagues are developing. Moreover, their closest rival, Ashanti Kotoko has remained a force to reckon with.  

The financial statement of the club showed impressive results for last year despite the bad performance in the league. Would this affect the IPO subscription in anyway? The shares of the club are to be traded in the OTC market and this could also affect the subscription of the IPO, meanwhile, lead brokers SAS Brokerage Services denies that.  The truth would be out after the offer ends on 29^th August, 2011. They ‘never say die until the bones are rotten’