By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Stock markets tumble on tech sell-off, dollar sags
• MSCI Asia-Pacific index down 0.9 pct, Nikkei sheds 0.85 pct
• Tech shares fall, tracking losses by Wall St peers
• Dollar sags after weak US housing-related data
• Long-term US yields hover near 7-wk lows

Oil Markets

• Oil treads water amid expected OPEC cuts, gloomy economic outlook
• OPEC, allies to meet on Dec. 6 to discuss supply cuts
• Cuts would counter demand slowdown, surge in US output
• IEA warns of “negative implications” of supply cuts
• Cautious investors have pulled large investments out of oil
• Brent crude futures down 4 cents at $66.75 per barrel (0250GMT)
• US WTI crude futures down 6 cents at $57.14 per barrel

Precious metals

• Gold prices steady amid softer dollar
• Spot gold down 0.1 pct at $1,222.71 per ounce (0117GMT)
• US gold futures down 0.2 pct at $1,223.5 per ounce

Grains

• Soybeans edge higher, US-China trade war anxiety curbs gains
• Most active CBOT wheat futures down 0.3 pct at $4.97 per bushel (0137GMT)
• Most active corn futures up 0.1 pct at $3.62-1/2 per bushel
• Most active soy futures up 0.1 pct at $8.74-1/4 per bushel
• Most active rice futures unchanged at $10.77 per hundredweight

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

• South Africa’s state capture inquiry continues; Gordhan to continue testimony
• Public holiday in Nigeria

Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]

• Africa Crude – Angolan January programme emerges; no sign of Nigerian plans
• Soccer-Spain, Portugal propose 2030 World Cup bid with Morocco – PM
• South African opposition wants payments to Ramaphosa campaign fund investigated
• US Treasury places sanctions on Libyan Islamist commander Badi
• US sanctions South African for helping North Korea acquire oil
• Kenya bans charity Marie Stopes from providing abortion services
• Congo spy agency informant, army colonel deny role in UN experts’ killing
• Mali singer Salif Keita highlights plight of African albinos
• South Africa’s Naspers sees higher first-half core headline profit
• Portugal, Morocco to invite bids for power link after studies in 2019
• IMF says optimism in South Africa’s economic recovery fading
• Egypt sells $1.7 bln worth of dollar t-bills – central bank
• Mali to produce lithium by 2020 with 694,000 T discovered
• Nigeria’s Abubakar promises to boost oil investment, cut subsidies if elected
• Union to strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s South African gold operations
• Nigeria opposition’s Abubakar says to invest $90 bln annually on infrastructure – election manifesto
• Uganda shilling firmer, helped by remittance inflows
• Zimbabwe to let gold, platinum mines retain higher dollar earnings
• South Africa’s Barloworld in talks to buy a Caterpillar business
• Kenyan shilling inches up against the dollar
• Kenyan logistics start-up Sendy plans second fundraising
• Zimbabwe allows gold mining firms to retain 55 pct of dollar earnings
• South Africa’s Netcare to pay special dividend, FY earnings inch up
• South Africa’s Astral Foods FY profit soars 88 pct
• South Africa’s Barloworld FY profit jumps on strong Russian business

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