By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asia shares bounce from 2-mth lows as US-China trade war fears ease
• Markets see Trump’s tariffs as negotiation strategy, not final policy
• MSCI Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan up 0.2 pct
• Markets in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan closed today (Thursday)

Oil Markets

• Oil gains on surprise drawdown in US crude inventories
• US WTI crude for May delivery up 0.3 pct at $63.56 a barrel (0140GMT)
• Front-month London Brent crude for June delivery up 0.3 pct at $68.22 per barrel
• Shanghai September crude futures untraded due to public holiday, down 0.8 pct on Wednesday

Precious metals

• Gold edges lower as fears of all-out US-China trade war ease
• Spot gold down 0.2 pct at $1,331 per ounce (0052GMT)
• US gold futures down 0.4 pct at $1,335.10 per ounce

Grains

• Soybeans edge higher, Chinese tariffs cap gains
• Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.9 pct at $4.59-3/4 a bushel (0033GMT)
• Most active corn futures up 0.2 pct at $3.81-3/4 a bushel
• Most active soybean futures up 0.3 pct at $10.18-1/4 a bushel
• Most active rice futures unchanged at $12.42 per hundredweight

Soft commodities (4 Apr)

• Arabica coffee comes off 9-mth low on position rolling
• May arabica coffee settled up 0.3 pct at $1.169 per lb
• May robusta coffee settled up 0.9 pct at $1,755 per tonne
• May New York cocoa settled down 0.9 pct at $2,475 per tonne
• May London cocoa settled down 0.5 pct at £1,725 per tonne
• May raw sugar settled down 1.6 pct at 12.27 cents per lb
• May white sugar settled down 1 pct at $351.20 per tonne

Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]

• Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa 5-day China trip continues
• Nigeria’s Buhari slated to travel to London before end of the week
• South Africa Standard Bank PMI for Mar-18 due (prev. 51.4)
• Nigeria Stanbic IBTC Bank PMI for Mar-18 due (prev. 56.0)

Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]

• Julius Maada Bio sworn in as new Sierra Leone president
• Oppositions’s Maada Bio wins Sierra Leone presidency – election commission
• Morocco mulls ‘all options’ over its Western Sahara truce threat claim – minister
• European tourists were not kidnapped in Cameroon, tour operator says
• Ghana to review corporate tax exemptions for resources sector
• Social welfare has lifted 50 million out of poverty, World Bank says
• South African court backs once empowered, always empowered principle
• Nigeria’s central bank keeps main interest rate at record high 14 pct
• Nigeria’s president approves release of $1 bln for military equipment – defence minister
• Mali war crimes suspect appears before Hague war crimes judges
• South Africa signs $4.7 bln of delayed renewable energy deals
• Zambia withdraws military personnel deployed to fight cholera
• Algeria’s Bouteflika names four ministers and leaves energy minister in place
• Egypt to hold long-awaited local elections next year
• Libyans to take part in public consultations to help end political deadlock
• In Africa, scant data protection leaves internet users exposed
• South African police arrest five over mine worker killings
• Kenyan fund targets $15 mln green bond for water projects
• Tight liquidity supports Kenyan shilling
• Congo opposition leader held Italian citizenship for 16 years, town says
• Cameroon security forces free 18 hostages in Anglophone region
• Mauritius offers 5-year treasury bond worth 2 bln rupees
• Ugandan shilling stable, dollar demand seen rising

N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters