NIGERIA: If there is one stock that has generated a lot of buzz lately, it would be Ellah Lakes PLC. For investors who see potential in the company following the recent spectacular performances of companies in similar sector (Okomu and Presco) and are willing to take or have taken on a long position, for speculators and traders who are riding on the sector's boom to make quick capital appreciation, and for non believers in the company who make a case with past performance and do not believe in any near term breath of fresh air in the horizon, the buzz has continued to intensify. Are any of the groups right? That might not really matter, as long as whichever route one has followed aligns with one's investment philosophy.
Ellah Lakes PLC is a growing indigenous agribusiness company. Established in 1980 as a fish farming enterprise, the company underwent a strategic shift in 2019 following the acquisition of Telluria Limited. It repositioned itself as a vertically integrated agro-industrial player focused on crop cultivation, processing, and sustainable value creation. It is headquartered in Benin city, Edo state, and is dedicated to the production and processing of high demand staple crops such as oil palm, cassava, maize, and soybean.
Interestingly the Board of Directors of Ellah Lakes recently proposed to raise capital of up to ₦250 billion through equity issuance (Private placement, Public offer, rights issue, etc.), which was approved by the shareholders in a recently held Extraordinary General Meeting in Lagos on July 25, 2025. This is to facilitate the strategic "acquisition of a significant agricultural asset to expand the company's operational footprint and processing capacity". They also approved the conversion of Director/Shareholder loans granted before July 25, 2025 into ordinary shares of the company on such terms and in such manner as the board will deem fit subject to obtaining relevant regulatory approvals. According to a press release, "The company also shared updates on recent performance highlights, including the installation of a 5-ton Crude Palm Oil (CPO) processing mill which is currently undergoing commissioning and is expected to enhance in-house processing capacity, support downstream integration, and improve overall margin. The company has commenced commercial activities through the sale of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFBs)... Additionally, the Company's Livestock diversification strategy has advanced with the operational launch of its piggery initiative. With over 300 pigs already acquired and supporting infrastructure in development...".
In the same vein, the company recently announced the appointment of a new Chief Financial Officer, Mr Hewett Benson, effective July 1, 2025. According to the announcement, Mr Benson is a finance executive with a distinguished international career spanning capital market, asset management, and corporate transformation. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College London, a C.P.G.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cambridge, and an S.M. in Aerospace Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His professional experience encompasses project finance, fund management, deal origination and commercial strategy in asset-intensive sectors.
In Ellah Lake's recently released Unaudited Financial statement for the year ended 31st July,2025, the company reported a full year revenue of ₦71 million, negative operating profit of ₦308 million and negative Earnings Per Share of 8 kobo. Its Balance sheet showed total Assets of ₦24.6 billion, total Liabilities of ₦8.2 billion, consisting of Directors' Loan of ₦6.8 billion and borrowings of ₦549 million. Although Operating Cash flow came in negative ₦3 billion, Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period came in positive ₦5.7 billion, as a result of the long term Directors' loan.
As at some weeks ago, the company's shares traded at over ₦19, essentially valuing the company at circa ₦74 billion in market capitalization on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Whichever side of the divide (earlier described) that you belong, always remember that a stock or share is not just a ticker symbol, but part ownership in an actual company. Therefore you should always know your reason for buying such stock (part ownership in the company), and ensure that it aligns with your investment philosophy and holding time horizon, and not just for Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Shareholders and Investors should also note that whenever there is capital raise via equity, it leads to dilution of existing shareholders, and the company would have to significantly improve earnings to improve earnings per share. It can be likened to having a piece of pie currently being shared among a certain number of people, then inviting more people to join in sharing the same pie- in order not to reduce the quantity that gets to each person the size of the pie has to be increased.
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