Stockbroker Securities Africa has rebranded to Capital A Investment Bank following the regulator's nod, even as it eyes diaspora investors.

The Capital Market Authority has upgraded the firm from a licensed stockbroker to an investment bank, meaning it can now venture into advisory services including mergers, privatizations and takeovers.

Speaking at the rebranding ceremony, Capital A chairman Norris Kibe hinted at rollout of a fixed income fund targeting Kenyans abroad.

"The whole idea behind this yet to be rolled-out product is to tap into that money from the diaspora to enable Kenyans invest in our capital markets," he said.

The firm specializes in offering tailored investment advice across a wide range of financial instruments, including bonds, equities, Eurobonds, and corporate finance.

It continues to solidify its position as a leading investment firm, dominating the bonds market with a market share of 20.8 percent and a transactional value of Sh55.2 billion as of September 2024.

Nairobi Securities Exchange chief executive Frank Mwiti lauded Capital A's expansion into new areas of financial services, noting it will greatly boost the local domestic market.

"We have to develop a market that is less reliant on foreign participants and more reliant on domestic local and institutional players. We need to localize a lot of the innovation we bring to the market," he said.

He explained that globally experience has shown that security markets which are heavily reliant on foreign flows are extremely volatile.

The CMA deems Stockbroker Securities Africa transition to an investment bank an indication of growth and maturity of the domestic capital markets.

"This transition marks a key development in the CMA's efforts to deepen capital markets and expand opportunities for all Kenyans," said Daniel Warutere, the CMA director of market operations.

This year, the CMA achieved a significant milestone of 1 trillion trading securities, a testament to the growth and vibrancy of the domestic local our market.