By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asia stocks, S&P futures slide as investors flee risk amid growth fears
- MSCI Asia ex-Japan index -1 pct, hits 20-mth low
- Index on track for 5th weekly loss as growth fears sap confidence
- S&P futures drop 0.66 pct
- Euro falls after Draghi reaffirms end of asset purchase program
Oil Markets
- Oil prices drop as focus shifts to oversupply
- Oil fundamentals remain tight on Iran sanctions
- US sanctions against Iran start on Nov. 4
- Iran oil exports already falling
- Brent crude futures down 0.7 pct at $76.38 a barrel (0331GMT)
- US crude futures down 1 pct at $66.68 a barrel
Precious metals
- Spot gold little changed at $1,231.76 an ounce (0416GMT)
- US gold futures up 0.2 pct at $1,234.60 an ounce
Grains
- Wheat firms but set for biggest weekly drop since early Sept
- Most active CBOT wheat futures down 4.4 pct so far this week
- Soybeans down 1.5 pct this week thus far
- Corn futures down 1.2 pct so far this week
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- South Africa investment conference continues (25-27 Oct); key opening event today
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- South Africa’s Ramaphosa seeks new investment pledges as economy struggles
- Egypt’s PM envisages fewer civil servants, smaller cabinet
- Nigeria’s Diamond Bank hit 4-mth high as traders eyes fresh capital
- UN rights chief outraged by Burundi’s “slave trade” slur
- Africa Crude – Nigerian crude diffs slip as shipping economics trap cargoes
- Kenya’s Akasha brothers plead guilty to US drug charges – court records
- South Africa’s rand eases further on budget worries, stocks bounce
- Buyout firm firm DPI buys stake in Moroccan mattress maker Dolidol
- Ivory Coast to invest in smart grid to boost power exports
- Mainly white South African union protests over Sasol’s black share plan
- Bidvest tank terminals and Petredec unveil construction of $70 mln LPG site
- South Sudan frees five political detainees – intelligence agency
- South African finance minister calls for debt action to avoid IMF
- South Africa’s treasury has spoken with ratings agencies over budget
- South Africa’s top court ruling curtails power of chiefs to cut mining deals
- Sudan lifts partial ban on Egyptian imports – president
- Kenyan shilling seen soft, most African currencies firm; in week ahead
- South African finance minister doubts SAA will find equity partner in current state
- Three days of violence empties Angolan town of Congolese
- Libyan wealth fund asks Britain to halt IRA compensation bill
- Kenyan shilling expected to ease due to importer dollar demand
- South African state pension fund CEO denies corruption allegations
- Ugandan shilling steady amid offshore investor flows
- Ethiopia’s parliament approves Sahle-Work Zewde as first female president
- BP expects Libya exploration with Eni to start in Q1 next year
- Egypt’s external borrowing ceiling at $16.733 bln for 2018/19
- Rising healthcare, beauty sales lift South African retailer Clicks’ annual profit
- Kenyan central bank sets next rate-setting meeting for Nov. 27
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
