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