BSE biggest movers

Good morning, let’s get into it!

The Botswana Stock Exchange has seen a dramatic divergence in performance this year. While established heavyweights have held steady, the real story of 2025 belongs to the turnaround stories—companies that have clawed their way back from the brink to deliver triple-digit returns.

Here is the breakdown of the market movers from the highest yearly gainers to the laggards, along with the weekly highlights.

Weekly Movers (7-Day Return)

Short-term momentum is currently concentrated in just three names:

1. Choppies Enterprises (CHOP-EQO): +9.2%

   • The Catalyst: Choppies continues its aggressive rally even late into the year. The recent weekly pop is likely driven by investor confidence ahead of interim dividend payouts and continued positive sentiment regarding their debt restructuring and regional consolidation.

2. Olympia Capital (OCCL-EQO): +3.7%

   • The Catalyst: A sudden tick upward for this investment holding company. Often a low-liquidity stock, this move suggests renewed interest in its underlying real estate and industrial portfolio, possibly due to a favorable property valuation update.

3. Standard Chartered Bank (SCBB-EQO): +0.6%

   • The Catalyst: A modest weekly gain reflecting its status as a stable "safe haven" dividend stock.

The Yearly Leaderboard (1-Year Return)

From the highest gainer to the biggest decliner.

1. Choppies Enterprises (CHOP-EQO)

• Return: +128.8%

• The "Why": The undisputed champion of 2025. After years of penny-stock status, Choppies has executed a successful turnaround strategy. The massive 128% gain is fueled by the company returning to profitability, exiting loss-making markets, and restoring investor confidence. It is no longer priced as a distressed asset but as a growing retailer.

2. BBS Bank (BBS-EQO)

• Return: +40.0%

• The "Why": The transition from a Building Society to a fully-fledged Commercial Bank is paying off. Investors are buying into the growth potential of BBS now that it can offer a wider range of banking products to compete with the big players.

3. Standard Chartered Bank (SCBB-EQO)

• Return: +24.8%

• The "Why": Strong fundamentals. In a high-interest-rate environment, traditional banks often thrive. SCBB has delivered consistent earnings and attractive dividends, making it a favorite for institutional investors seeking yield.

4. Botswana Telecommunications (BTCL-EQO)

• Return: +23.6%

• The "Why": BTCL has successfully pivoted toward data-driven revenue streams. As demand for fiber and 4G/5G services grows across Botswana, BTCL’s revenue mix has improved, rewarding shareholders who held through the slower voice-revenue years.

5. Sechaba Brewery Holdings (SECH-EQO)

• Return: +18.7%

• The "Why": A classic defensive stock. Sechaba's rise is attributed to recovering consumption volumes in the beverage sector and its consistent ability to pay dividends. It remains a proxy for the Botswana consumer economy.

6. CA Sales Holdings (CAS-EQO)

• Return: +17.9%

• The "Why": As a Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) distributor, CAS has benefited from supply chain improvements and expansion in its geographical footprint, showing resilience even when consumer spending is tight.

7. Sefalana Holding (SEF-EQO)

• Return: +12.5%

• The "Why": Similar to Choppies but more conservative, Sefalana’s diversified portfolio (retail, manufacturing, property) provides steady, if unspectacular, growth that appeals to long-term holders.

The Middle Pack (Stable / Low Growth)

• Absa Bank (ABBL-EQO): +9.8% (Solid banking performance).

• FNB Botswana (FNBB-EQO): +6.7% (Market leader, but priced for perfection, leading to slower capital gains).

• Chobe Holdings (CHOB-EQO): +6.6% (Tourism recovery is steady but gradual).

• BIHL (BIHL-EQO): +4.6% (Insurance giant remains stable).

• RDC Properties (RDCP-EQU): +4.2% (Property sector recovery).

• Letlole La Rona (LLR-EQU): +3.4% (Stable rental yields).

• New African Properties (NAP-EQU): +1.5% (Flat growth).

• Engen (ENG-EQO): +0.8% (High fuel prices impacted margins).

The Laggards (Negative Return)

• Cresta Marakanelo (CRE-EQO): -7.1% – Likely suffering from rising operational costs (electricity/food), squeezing margins despite tourism recovery.

• Turnstar Holdings (TURN-EQU): -7.2% – Pressure on property valuations and vacancies in the retail/office sector.

• Letshego (LETS-EQO): -17.4% – The micro-lender has faced headwinds likely regarding regional regulatory challenges or loan book quality issues, dampening sentiment.

• G4S Botswana (G4S-EQO): -62.9% – The biggest loser of the year. This massive drop signals severe structural issues, potential loss of major security contracts, or a significant earnings miss that has caused the market to re-rate the stock aggressively downwards.

  Source: simplywallst