By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asia stocks edge up but Saudi tensions limit gains
- MSCI Asia-Pacific index up 0.25 pct, Nikkei climbs 0.6 pct
- Saudi-West tensions limit stock gains, prop up oil prices
- Yen, Swiss franc and gold supported by recent risk aversion
Oil Markets
- Oil prices rise on signs of falling Iranian oil exports
- Iran exports avg 1.33 mln bpd of crude in first 2 weeks of Oct
- Trump sends Pompeo to Saudi Arabia over missing Saudi journalist
- US crude inventory likely to increase – Reuters poll
- Brent crude futures up 0.1 pct at $80.87 per barrel (0032GMT)
- US WTI crude futures up 5 cents at $71.83 a barrel
Grains
- Soybean prices ease after 3-day rally, wheat at 2-wk high
- Most active CBOT soy futures down 0.4 pct at $8.88-1/4 per bushel (0148GMT)
- Most active wheat futures up 0.1 pct at $5.25-1/4 per bushel
- Most active corn futures down 0.4 pct at $3.76-3/4 per bushel
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- South Africa’s EFF presser on VBS Mutual Bank scandal today
- Nigeria inflation data for September expected [fcst. 11.5% yy, prev. 11.2%]
- Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed expected to reshuffle his cabinet today
- Ghana’s NDC pre-election debate for aspiring national officers today
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- WHO to meet on Congo’s ebola outbreak as toll soars
- Congo confirms 33 ebola cases in past week, of whom 24 died
- Aid worker killed in Nigeria after Islamists’ deadline expires – govt
- South Africa’s Eskom avoids power cuts
- Zimbabwe vice president in South Africa for treatment – Herald
- Kanye gives Uganda leader sneakers, gets African name
- Death toll reaches 60 in Nigeria oil pipeline fire
- Family of abducted Tanzania tycoon offer reward for information
- Africa Crude – Traders await loading programmes
- Germany deports associate of Sept. 11 hijackers to Morocco
- Anglo Asian’s Azerbaijan gold output rises 47 pct in Q3
- South African rand rallies on Moody’s, stocks track Asia lower
- South Africa’s power utility Eskom warns of load-shedding
- South Africa’s Ramaphosa rejects report that he failed to stop looting at VBS Bank
- Fuel depot fire at Nairobi airport put out; no damage reported
- Hi-tech peer-to-peer networks let Nigerian farmers log on for cash
- Egypt has four months strategic wheat reserves – minister
- Egypt’s Sarwa Capital falls 15 pct on market debut
- Thousands strike in South Africa’s plastics sector
- Tunisia will not impose new taxes in 2019 – draft budget
- A year after Somalia deadliest attack, fireball still torments survivors
- Kenyan shilling steady, seen trading in narrow range
- Uganda shilling a notch firmer ahead of mid-months payments
- Google launches Motorbke Mode navigation in Kenya, first for Africa
- Egypt talking to banks about hedging for commodities
- Crowdfunded solar panels aim to supercharge business in Africa
- South Africa’s Nedbank to buy back shares from minority shareholders
- Steinhoff asks creditors for restructuring extension
- Kenya’s Safaricom loses 1.6 pct users’ market share in Q2
- Japan’s Tohoku Electric to buy Mozambique LNG
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters