Diversified holdings firm Padenga Holdings will start trading on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX) today.
The group delisted from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) and list on the United States dollar denominated VFEX in move to take advantage of export incentives that come with listing on the new bourse.
Zimbabwe’s exporters currently retain 60 percent of their foreign currency earnings in hard currency while 40 percent is sold to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) at auction rate.
But under prescribed conditions, companies listed on the VFEX will be entitled to higher retention rates of their incremental exports and new investments.
Additionally, the listing on the VFEX enables Padenga to raise capital in foreign currency from a deeper investor base to pursue viable acquisitions in related export sectors.
Analysts at stockbrokers IH Securities have said investors (shareholders) will also benefit from the move.
“The listing onto the VFEX enables shareholders to unlock a ‘real’ US dollar valuation of the business, with capital gains and dividends realizable in hard currency.
“We believe this makes the business more attractive to investors looking to ‘harden’ their investment and potentially new investors looking for US dollar assets with hard currency yield.
“We see potential for growth pathway particularly in Dallaglio via acquisitions within the gold space motivated by the new incentives articulated by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development; and in the short term an uplift in earnings caused by a higher effective ‘real’ gold price achieved based on greater foreign currency retention,” said IH Securities.
“We believe high barriers to entry in the premium skin segment given extensive animal husbandry requirements now in place globally position the crocodilian defensively going forward, despite challenges experienced over the last 2 years.
“Downside risk is liquidity on the VFEX itself which may potentially create an initial discount on valuation, we however believe this will resolve itself in the medium term as other assets migrate to the VFEX deepening the available asset base and attraction levels.”