By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Stocks rally peters out as trade, Fed worries dominate
- World stocks fall after 4-day rally
- Italy leads Europe down as banks slide
- Crude slides as waivers dilute Iran sanctions
- Investors cautious before US midterms
- Sterling jumps on Brexit deal hopes
Oil Markets
- Oil slips as US sanctions on Iran begin, Tehran defiant
- US sanctions against Iran’s fuel exports started Monday
- But Washington grants temporary waivers to key buyers
- Iran says it will break sanctions and still sell oil
- US, Russia, Saudi output rises
- Analysts say demand could slow amid economic downturn
- Brent down 30 cents at $72.53 (0815GMT)
- US light crude down 30 cents at $62.84 a barrel
Precious metals
- Gold prices hold steady amid easing dollar
- Spot gold steady at $1,232.86 per ounce (0126GMT)
- US gold futures up 0.1 pct at $1,234.6 per ounce
Grains
- Corn firms up, hovers near highest level in more than 2 weeks
- Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.5 pct at $5.11-1/4 per bushel (0148GMT)
- Most active corn futures up 0.2 pct at $3.72 per bushel
- Most active soy futures nearly unchanged at $8.88 per bushel
- Most active rice futures up 0.8 pct at $10.83 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- South Africa Standard Bank PMI Oct-18 [act. 46.9, prev. 48]
- Nigeria Stanbic IBTC PMI Oct-18 [act. 54.4, prev. 56.3]
Key African events or data releases over the weekend & a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Kenyan shilling steady amid inflows from exports, remittances
- Uganda shilling weaker inches down against the dollar
- Danish suspect in $17 million fraud case arrested in South Africa
- EU reviews relations with Tanzania over homosexuality crackdown
- Equatorial Guinea’s energy sector gets $2.4 bln boost – ministry source
- Kenya’s Equity Bank’s 9-mth pretax profit up 8 pct
- South African rand weakens as risk sentiment dims
- AngloGold posts 15 pct drop in Q3 production, but confident of meeting FY target
- Egypt’s foreign reserves rise to $44.501 bln in Oct – central bank
- Facebook’s Cameroon problem: stop online hate stoking conflict
- AngloGold Q3 output falls on sales of South African assets
- Egypt’s non-oil business activity slows slightly in Oct – PMI
- Sudan accepts South Sudanese mediation in border regions
- South African home affairs minister says he will “fight to bitter end” over accusations – City Press newspaper
- Eritrean president says trust growing with Ethiopia, but more work needed
- South Africa’s enterprise ministry says state airline should prepare for equity partner
- Egypt says 19 militants killed in security operation after attack on Chrisitians
- Egypt’s Sarwa Capital exposed to IPO “irregularities” – regulator
- Phase two development of Libya’s Bahr Essalam gas field to finish by end 2018
- Sudan hikes flour subsidies by 40 pct to lower bread prices
- Russian-made fighter plane crashes in Egypt – RIA
- Barrick shareholders set to approve Randgold acquisition – sources
- Global banks HSBC, UBS close Nigeria offices, foreign investment falls
- Islamic State claims responsibility for attack near Egyptian monastery – AMAQ
- Africa Crude – Angolan weaker, Nigeria steady
- Gaza border protest more subdued as Egypt pushes for calm
- Tanzanian opposition leader charged with sedition after statement on clash
- South Sudan frees rebel chief’s associates to back peace deal
- South Africans make bricks from human urine
- Egypt’s Sisi vows to continue campaign against militants after bus attack
- Electric car demand fuelling rise in child labour in DR Congo – campaigners
- Uganda to finalise China loan for new railway by year-end
- Uganda begins Ebola vaccinations amid Congo transmission fears
- Zambia power system glitch cuts electricity supply to some mines
- Kenya’s Safaricom warns that higher taxes could hit demand
- Australia’s Invictus says it has not found oil and gas deposits in Zimbabwe
- Kenya’s Safaricom first-half revenue jumps nearly 8 pct
- Rain or shine, grain banks help Kenyan farmers beat trade cartels
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters