By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Canadian dollar up on NAFTA agreement, Nikkei hits 27-year high
• Canadian dollar, Mexico peso up after US, Canada agree on NAFTA
• Nikkei up 0.6 pct, S&P 500 mini futures up 0.5 pct
• Asian shares soft, trading seen slow with China on holiday
• Caixin/Markit China manufacturing PMI hits lowest since May 2017
• European shares are seen rising up to 0.4 pct

Oil Markets

• Brent oil near 4-year high (at above $83) ahead of Iran sanctions, but demand concerns loom
• Stagnant US rig count supports US crude prices
• High prices, trade disputes threaten demand growth
• Brent crude oil futures up 0.4 pct at $83.04 per barrel (0057GMT)
• US WTI crude futures up 0.3 pct at $73.48 a barrel

Precious metals

• Gold slips as dollar firms on Fed rate hike outlook
• Spot gold down 0.2 pct at $1,189.22 (0111GMT)
• US gold futures down 0.3 pct at $1,193.0 an ounce

Grains

• Soybean prices struggle with large US inventories, bumper crop outlook
• Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.3 pct at $5.10-3/4 per bushel (0131GMT)
• Most active corn futures up 0.1 pct at $3.56-3/4 per bushel
• Most active soy futures nearly unchanged at $8.45-1/4 per bushel
• Most active rice futures up 0.7 pct at $9.85 per hundredweight

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

• Nigeria independence day today; markets closed
• Final day of United Nations General Assembly debate; African heads of state scheduled to speak are for Algeria, Eritrea, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Niger, Congo, Somalia and Burkina Faso
• South Africa consumer confidence data for Q2 2018 expected [prev. 22]
• South Africa ABSA manufacturing PMI for September expected [prev. 43.4]
• South Africa new vehicle sales for September expected [prev. 47.96K]

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

• Egyptian court orders retrial of Muslim Brotherhood leader
• Egypt’s M2 money supply up 17.02 pct in August – c.bank
• Soccer – Malawian Nyamilandu elected to FIFA Council
• Soccer – Africa to support Infantino bid for FIFA re-election
• Sudan to print 100-pound banknotes to ease liquidity crunch
• Nigeria ruling party nominates Buhari for re-election in 2019
• Congo’s opposition leaders warn of vote-rigging risk in presidential poll
• Higher energy exports help cut Algeria’s Jan-Aug trade deficit
• Morocco’s BMCE Bank posts 12.7 pct fall in first-half net profit
• Egyptian court sentences activist to jail for ‘false news’ over sexual harassment video
• South African arms firm fails to pay senior staff in reform setback
• Soccer – Decision on Cameroon hosting next Nations Cup is delayed
• Nigerian women’s minister submits resignation – letter to president
• Shippers cut Ghana cocoa export freight by 9.4 pct – Body
• Randgold faces pushback from Congo over Barrick takeover of Kibali mine
• Nigerian oil unions aim to resolve dispute with Chevron in two weeks – union official
• Barrick eyes China money to lower Africa risk after Randgold deal – sources
• Kenyan workers say they warned Unilever before attacks in post-2007 vote violence
• Ghana’s 91-day bill rises to 13.4 pct
• UN experts says Egypt systematically targets rights activists
• Zambia hikes mining taxes in 2019 budget to rein in debt
• Zambia sees 4 pct growth, lower deficit in 2019 budget
• Congo mines minister backs state miner over Barrick’s Kibali takeover
• South Africa’s rand, stocks fall on euro woes
• Egypt’s Sarwa Capital sets maximum share price of 8.5 EGP ahead of IPO – sources
• Stigma, poverty leave ‘cursed’ disabled children neglected in Kenya’s orphanages
• Vodacom Tanzania says incoming CEO denied work permit
• African Crude – Nigerian overhang weighs, Angolan sales stutter
• Nigerian military pilot dies after air display rehearsal accident
• South Africa’s trade balance swings to 8.79 bln rand surplus in August
• Data overhaul shows Ghana’s economy 24.6 pct bigger in 2017
• South Africa’s land reforms to include tribal territories – ANC official
• Emerging bonds back in favour with $1.5 bln weekly inflow – BAML
• Uganda shilling expected to weaken as importer demand weighs
• Nigerian military planes in accident during air display rehearsal
• Ethiopia charges five with terrorism over grenade attack at PM’s rally
• Liberia court orders more than 30 ex-cbank officials arrested over missing cash
• Kenya GDP growth at 6.3 pct y/y in Q2 2018
• New fuel tax pushes Kenya inflation to highest in 11 months
• South African investors back Steinhoff class action lawsuit
• Burundi suspends some NGOs for violating new law
• South Africa’s 3-mth t-bill average yield unchanged at 7.25 pct
• Botswana’s economy rebounds in second quarter of 2018
• Kenyan shilling steady, importer demand slow
• Investors back litigation against South Africa’s Steinhoff in Dutch court
• Nigeria’s ruling party narrowly wins governor vote in key region
• Egypt receives final $500 mln tranche of African Development Bank loan
• Kenya’s inflation jumps to 5.7 pct in September
• Back home, Cameroon migrants grapple with Libya trauma, prison debt

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