Stanbic IBTC provides guidance on investing in uncertain times
By Kayode Tokede
As part of efforts to continually enlighten the investing public about the available safe and transparent investment options, Stanbic IBTC Asset Management, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, recently organised a webinar themed ‘Investing in Uncertain Times’ via Instagram, as part of the Stanbic IBTC #BlueTalks series.
The session featured Fadekemi Obasanya, Head Investment Management and Ekene Nwaokoro, Fund Analyst, both of Stanbic IBTC Asset Management. The discussion centred around educating the public on the fundamentals of investing and viable investment options, especially in an uncertain economic terrain.
Fadekemi emphasised the importance of gaining requisite knowledge from investment professionals about the best investment options per time. She highlighted various investment options offered by Stanbic IBTC Asset Management which both current and prospective investors can avail themselves of, adding that the organisation has provided avenues to enable customers make well-informed financial decisions.
One of the investment options highlighted at the session was mutual funds, such as the Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund, Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund, Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Fixed Income Fund, Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund, Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund and Stanbic IBTC Shari’ah Fixed Income Fund, amongst others.
The advantage of investing in the Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund, a dollar-denominated mutual fund, was also discussed as a response to the questions asked on how to hedge against inflation and Naira devaluation.
Individuals were urged to invest wisely especially as the COVID–19 pandemic had adversely affected the global economy and traditionally viable instruments. The audience was also advised to always conduct due diligence before making any investment and verify crediblity, transparency and safety.
Fadekemi stated, “A lot of people fell prey to fake investment platforms in the previous year. It is wise to stay disciplined and informed about credible investment outlets to avoid losing money, as the main objective of investment is to generate regular income and capital appreciation”.
Fadekemi added, “People need to be mindful of the type of investment they put their money in. This is why we designed a tool called ‘InvestBeta’ for intending investors to identify their risk appetite, which simply means the amount of risk they are willing and able to take, as well as the available investment options that can help them achieve their investment objective. There are also well-experienced financial advisors on standby to help investors decide on the most suitable options for them”.