USD/ETB official rose 0.21% to 158.6017 sell while the parallel rate held at 181.86, widening the gap to 14.7%. ESX trading was quiet — only IBMM moved, dropping 2.94% to 12.
FX
- **USD/ETB (official):** buy 157.0314 / sell 158.6017, +0.21% on the day.
- **USD/ETB (parallel):** buy 181.86 / sell 181.86, -1.7%. Parallel premium vs official sell: **14.7%**.
- **Biggest day-mover:** JPY/ETB +2.18% (sell 1.0098), followed by GBP/ETB +0.71% and EUR/ETB +0.46%. Birr softer across all majors.
Macro
- No new prints inside the 14-day window today. Last reading: Headline Inflation 9.4% YoY (Apr 15), down 0.3pp.
ESX
- **Movers:** IBMM (Interbank Money Market) -2.94% to 12.00 — sole mover on the session.
- **Flat:** WGBX 1,175.78, GDAB 1,000.00, AWAB 3,000.00 — all unchanged. Equities side stayed bid-only with no prints clearing.
- AWAB has now traded flat at 3,000 birr for seven consecutive sessions since the post-listing pullback from 3,011.19.
Watch
- **Policy:** Tigray leadership crisis — Debretsion Gebremichael sworn in as regional president May 5, defying federal extension of the Interim Administration. Sharp escalation with Addis Ababa ahead of the June vote.
- **Banking:** NBE finalized a draft Insurance Business Proclamation that would spin off insurance regulation to a new independent authority — sector liberalization roadmap continuing after banking opening.
- **Macro:** PM Abiy says Ethiopia is on track for a historic 10 billion USD export milestone this fiscal year; separately cites 14.5 billion USD in cumulative import-substitution savings over four years.
- **Audit:** Borkena report flags a 98 billion birr corruption scandal uncovered by federal audit — implicated entities not yet disclosed.