By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- China leads Asian shares lower on growth, trade worries
- MSCI Asia ex-Japan drops 0.2 pct
- Pound retains gains after draft deal on future EU-UK relations
- Crude prices continue plunge on oversupply concerns
- Japan markets closed for a holiday
Oil Markets
- Oil falls on supply glut fears, but expected OPEC cuts provide some support
- World oil supply expected to exceed demand in 2019
- But OPEC is expected to cut supply in 2019
- Brent crude oil futures down 1.3 pct at $61.82 per barrel (0333GMT)
- US WTI crude futures down 2.5 pct at $53.29 per barrel (0333GMT)
Precious metals
- Gold holds steady on Fed interest rate hike uncertainty
- Spot gold steady at $1,226.38 per ounce (0104GMT)
- US gold futures little changed at $1,226.9 per ounce
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- S&P Global Ratings to announce rating decision on South Africa today
- South Africa’s state capture inquiry continues, to start at 2pm SA time
- Mozambique president Filipe Nyusi in Kenya on state visit; 21-24 Nov
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Kenya Power’s FY pretax profit dives 60 pct
- UNAIDS puts Nigeria country director on leave over sexual harassment allegation
- Airbnb homes in on African growth story
- Militants kill around 100 Nigerian soldiers in attack on army base – sources
- Zimbabwe plans refinery for the country’s platinum mines – budget document
- EU wheat at 1-wk high as Egypt tender boosts export sentiment
- Congo authorities eye victory as candidates launch election campaigns
- Africa Crude – Nigerian export programmes trickle out; Angolan supply to drop
- Zimbabwe’s budget deficit balloons as pre-election spending bites
- Egypt reveals it is holding daughter of Muslim Brotherhood leader, five others
- South Africa raises rates for first time in nearly 3 years in tight call
- Absa planting seeds in London
- Libyan couple risks ire of hardliners to promote Islamic calligraphy
- South Africa’s Capitec Bank wins race to buy Mercantile in $230 mln deal
- Zimbabwe’s 2018 budget deficit seen at 11.7 pct of GDP – finmin
- Congo’s 9-mth copper output up 8.7 pct, cobalt nearly doubles
- Nigeria central bank set to reach deal in $8.1 bln MTN dispute
- Nigera central bank holds benchmark lending rate at 14 pct
- South Africa raises lending rate to 6.75 pct in tight call
- 650k Tunisians strike for pay rise as economy struggles
- South Africa’s Tiger Brands to spin off 42 pct stake in Oceana
- Eight killed in attack on Foraco well site in Niger
- BP to invest $1 bln in South Africa, including refinery upgrade
- Equatorial Guinea punishes Subsea 7 for not hiring more locals
- Ethiopia chooses dissident to head vote board as PM presses reforms
- US military says strikes killed six militants in Somalia
- Sudan inflation eases slightly in Oct to 68.44 pct – stats agency
- Ugandan shilling edges up on offshore investor flows
- Kenyan shilling inches up as liquidity tightens
- Sluth Africa’s Mr Price H1 earnings rise 12 pct, shares up
- Sibanye-Stillwater suspends night shift work after employee killed during strike
- Zimbabwe miner RioZim demands $92 mln from central bank in lawsuit – document
- IMF approves disbursement of $15.4 mln to Malawi
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters