On 10/15/07, John Walubengo <jwalu@yahoo.com> wrote:
keep thinking outside the box and contribute.
In the spirit of thinking out of the box, you will see this conspiracy theory that is developing that when capital market regulators attempt to digitize the way of getting information through the internet and websites, users still don't understand the relevance. The lesson emerging is that regulators (CCK, CMA) etc need to support the business case on their websites to help businesses they have licensed grow. The extract below from today's Business Daily explains the attempted conspiracy theory which is a result of linkage breaking between regulators and the businesses they license. Vendors defend move to sell market data http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3635&Itemid=5812 October 15 2007: When the Nairobi Stock Exchange closed its auditorium on Monday apparently to facilitate renovations, investors who normally follow trading from the room read mischief. They saw some uncanny coincidence between the closure and the licensing of six companies to sell market-generated information to investors. After the noise generated by the development died out, the users of the facility argued the closure was meant to create more business opportunities for the data vendors. Stung by the conspiracy theory, NSE chairman Jimnah Mbaru, rescinded the decision to lock out the investors, saying they would be accommodated even as the renovations went on. The concerns raised by the investors point to the low value placed on market information by the public, technocrats in the public service and some in corporate Kenya where the greatest source of information is word of mouth, probably because it is free. That explains why despite having an opportunity to pore through market statistics from the comfort of their desk tops by subscribing to a data vending service, investors will opt to be physically present at the bourse. Data vendors say there is a misconception of exactly what they do with many perceiving that they just sell raw data, which is distributed by the NSE for free and published in the print and electronic media on a daily and weekly basis. This perception has made investors not see why they should pay about Sh6,000 annually to use the proposed service, ensuring access to live stream as well as historical data. Data vending services are the latest phenomena in the Capital Markets with the six players having come on to the scene just three months ago after paying a licence fee of Sh170,000 (US $ 2500) to the NSE. Aly-Khan Satchu of Rich Management Limited, says data vending is "info-mediary", arguing that "the information is a valuable currency like the dollar which helps in better decision making." "It saves both time and money to the investor as previously they had to continuously check with their brokers on the goings on at the stock market," adds Robert Bitengo Maoga Chief Executive of Eight Limited, another data vendor. These benefits have, however, tended to be more discernible to people in far flung areas like Meru, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu because the NSE is in Nairobi. There are, however, plans to expand to the regions through technology. Mr Bildad Kagai, the managing director of MediaCorp Limited said there was need for investor education on the need for interpretation of streamed data. Though many retail investors want live streaming of data and information, few neither understand it nor put it to use. "We have realised that potential clients are having a problem understanding the live data we stream," said Mr Kagai. The live data has three main boards: Normal, Prompt and Odd boards. An Investor can tell the number of shares of the listed companies being sold and what is available for sale. Retail investors form the largest base of subscribers to the live data with an annual subscription of Sh6,000. Some corporate clients are interested in the research and historical data available in digitised form for an annual subscription of between Sh15, 000 and Sh20,000. But, Satchu said, the long term investor is not so much concerned with "the random walk of prices" which are the daily stock prices appearing on data vendors websites. "Our work is to digest the volumes of publicly available data in order to arrive at useful precise points to gauge a company by just browsing a page or two of accurate analysis," says Kagai. Nonetheless, investors say they pay the NSE Levy to get services including the live information displayed on the auditorium board. -- Bildad Kagai MD - MediaCorp Limited Nairobi Stock Exchange [NSE] - Authorised Information Vendor Suite B2 Tetu Apartments StateHouse Avenue P. O. Box 20311-00200 Tel. 254 20 272 8332 Fax. Rendered Obsolete URL. www.mediacorpafrica.com --