By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asian shares pare losses on US-China trade optimism, oil slides
• MSCI ex-Japan off 1.4 pct, Nikkei plunges over 3 pct
• Asian suppliers of iPhone parts down sharply
• Euro breaks key chart support of $1.13 to lowest since mid-2017
• Dollar benefits from euro, pound sell-off, US rate hike bets

Oil Markets

• Oil falls as Trump raps OPEC’s supply cut plan, global markets skid
• Brent below $70/b, WTI below $60/b amid broader market woes
• Saudi Arabia says there is need to cut 1 mln bpd of supply
• Trump says OPEC should not cut supply
• Brent crude futures down 0.9 pct at $69.47 per barrel (0214GMT)
• US WTI crude futures down 1.3 pct at $59.15 per barrel

Precious metals

• Gold prices inch up after hitting 1-mth low
• Spot gold up 0.2 pct at $1,202.99 per ounce (0125GMT)
• US gold futures flat at $1,203.4 per ounce

Grains

• Wheat slips from 3-wk high, soybeans rise
• Most active CBOT wheat futures down 0.4 pct at $5.17-3/4 per bushel (0344GMT)
• Most active corn futures down 0.3 pct at $3.70-1/4 per bushel
• Most active soy futures down 0.3 pct at $8.85-3/4 per bushel
• Most active rice futures unchanged at $10.65 per hundredweight

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

• South Africa’s state capture inquiry continues
• Paris Peace Forum contiunes today; a number of African heads of state in attendance
• Libya conference in Italy 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 Telkom H1 adjusted headline EPS up 10.3 pct
• Tunisia must control wage bill, IMF warns after deal with union
• Tunisia parliament approves prime minister’s cabinet reshuffle
• Tunisia expects record number of tourists, up to nine million in 2019
• Egypt tells Israel it needs to de-escalate Gaza violence
• Two Congo opposition leaders pull support for joint election candidate
• Libya rivals arrive for Italy summit after election shelved
• Management contributed to collapse of Nigeria’s Skye Bank – deposit insurer
• UN Security Council set to lift Eritrea sanctions on Wednesday
• Dozens in court as Ethiopia says security chiefs ordered attack on PM
• Nigeria telecoms regulator approves Teleology takeover of 9-mobile
• Kidnappers free last of 80 Cameroon schoolboys
• IMF says held constructive talks with Zambia on restoring debt sustainability
• Sierra Leone ruling against palm oil company will empower communities – campaigners
• Women cancer patients learn makeup tips in new Egypt workshop
• South Africa’s Brait first-half net asset value falls
• Africa Crude – Weak Asian demand, high freight weigh
• Congo opposition supporters protest against joint election candidate
• Ivory Coast Oct cocoa grinding unchanged y/y – exporter stats
• Migrants rescued by cargo ship refuse to disembark at Libyan port
• Egypt Sisi to visit Italy for Libya conference
• South Africa’s competition watchdog rules SABC, Multichoice deal a merger
• Ethiopia also arrested 27 METEC employees, police officials
• Ethiopia’s attorney-general alleges vast corruption at military-run Metec
• Ethiopia arrests 36 intelligence officials over alleged corruption, rights abuses
• Egypt sells 695.10 euros in 1-yr euro-denominated t-bills – cbank
• Mubadala to buy 20 pct interest in Egypt’s Nour offshore concession from Eni
• Italy hosts Libya conference to push new UN peace plan
• Kenyan shilling under pressure due to oil importer dollar demand
• Uganda shilling steady as pending taxes trim demand
• Zimbabwe invites bids for struggling national airline
• South Africa’s Eskom warns of power cuts due to low coal stockpiles
• Kenya to sell 20-yr infrastructure bond worth 50 bln shillings in Nov- cenbank
• South Africa Vodacom H1 profit down 13.5 pct

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