Ecobank Transnational Incorporated is experiencing a worrying drop in its price in the three markets where it is listed. The triple market sanction in Lagos, Accra and Abidjan is linked to the performance of a group that has not paid dividends since 2017

In Lagos, Ecobank Transnational Inc ended the week at 5.3 naira, down 76.7% compared to the peak of 21.5 naira reached between 8 and 10 August 2018. At the Ghana Stock Exchange, the share of the institution founded by the West African Chambers of Commerce closed on 21 May at 0.07 Cedis (0.012 dollars), leaving almost an overhang over 52 weeks. At the Regional Stock Exchange (BRVM), the share of the group based in Lomé (not to be confused with the paper of the subsidiary Ecobank Côte d'Ivoire, which is rather appreciated by the market), has almost been frozen for a year at 13 CFA francs

The ranking of the first pan-African bank by the number of countries with a presence (33) in the three financial centers reflects the market's feeling towards a bank based on a good idea before landing on the rigor of the African banking terrain and fragile monetary zones. With a total balance sheet of 25 billion dollars, the bank is struggling to make profits to match the investments.

In fact, in the first quarter of 2021, the Ecobank Group announced a pre-tax profit of $100 million, up 11% year-on-year, on sales of $409 million. EPS grew by 8% to 0.209 US cents and ROTE* by 15.7%. Despite these significant efforts, it seems that the bank will need a massive injection of capital from its shareholders to finance its development in the coming years