By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Shares tick up on US holiday sales hopes, but oil rout checks enthusiasm
• Asian shares up 0.5 pct, S&P 500 futures up 0.3 pct
• Hopes of brisk US holiday sales lift shares
• Oil steady for now but on course to worst month since Oct 2008
• Anxiety over Sino-US “cold war” to curb risk appetite

Oil Markets

• Oil prices edge up after nearly 8 pct ‘Black Friday’ plunge
• Brent remains below $60 per bbl after almost 8-pct drop on Fri
• Oil plunge came amid broad market weakness
• Morgan Stanley expects weakness to last into 2019
• Brent crude oil futures up 0.7 pct at $59.20 per barrel (0049GMT)
• US WTI crude futures up 0.3 pct at $50.58 per barrel

Precious metals

• Gold prices flat amid stronger dollar, investors look to G20 summit
• Spot gold little changed at $1,222.36 per ounce (0114GMT)
• US gold futures flat at $1,223.3 per ounce

Grains

• Wheat futures jump nearly 1 pct on US export deal
• Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.8 pct at $5.11-1/4 per bushel (0237GMT)
• Most active corn futures unchanged at $3.59 per bushel
• Most active soy futures unchanged at $8.81 per bushel
• Most active rice futures unchanged at $10.76 per bushel

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

• Blue economy conference in Mombasa, Kenya, starts today; 26-28 Nov
• Ghana to announce interest rate decision [fcst. 17.0%, prev. 17.0%]
• South Africa’s state capture inquiry continues this week; Mantashe to testify on Tuesday

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

• Car bomb strikes near religious centre in Somalia – Al Shabaab
• Airtel Africa appoints global banks for IPO
• Egypt and Sudan set up joint patrols against cross-border threats
• Uganda’s Museveni says capsized cruise boat was overloaded, 29 dead
• Uganda boat which sank was carrying more than twice its capacity
• Chad president to make first Israel visit on Sunday – Israeli PM’s office
• Death toll from Uganda boat cruise accident jumps to 29
• Islamic State claims attack in southern Libya that killed at least nine
• Nigeria’s Buhari breaks silence on soldier deaths in Islamist attack
• Four Finns among five killed in private plane crash in Zimbabwe
• US says receives credible terrorist threat against facilities in Congo
• Zimbabwe’s Mugabe in Singapore for medical treatment, unable to walk
• Congo approves clinicial trials for ebola treatments
• Mali says it confirms death of veteran jihadist leader Koufa
• Tunisia’s powerful union calls new national strike to press wage demands
• Tunisian PM seeks realistic pay deal with union
• Armed men kidnap 15 girls in southeastern Niger – mayor
• Suspected Islamic State gunmen kill nine in southern Libya – resident
• Ahead of Nigeria’s election, opposition weaponises soldier deaths
• S&P keeps South Africa in ‘junk’ status, citing anaemic growth
• France says puts 30 jihadists “out of action” in Mali
• New Barrick CEO eyes miners’ alliance to fix Tanzania tax row
• South African state pension fund says CEO resigns
• South Africa’s KPMG reports ex-partner to police over bank scandal – sources
• Congo’s Tshisekedi and Kamerhe form presidential pact
• Portugal promises to help Angola recover “unexplained assets”
• Africa Crude – Key Nigerian programmes in Jan still absent, OSPs emerge
• Ugandan women fight their way out of the slums, dream of boxing glory
• France’s JCDecaux signals Nigerian ambition with traffic service
• Egypt on track to achieve its financial targets – finmin
• Kenyan woman jailed for six years for circumcising twin daughters
• Tunisian activist call for protests over Saudi crown prince visit
• South Africa to invest $1 bln in South Sudan’s oil sector
• UK makes biggest investment to end FGM in Africa
• French commission to urge return of looted African art
• South Africa’s Transnet halts Durban port berths project over tender probe
• Kenya Power gets tough on late bill payers after profit plunges
• Africa missing out on boom in Chinese tourism
• CAR war crimes suspect Yekatom protests transfer to Hague
• Bank of Kigali’s $67.5 mln cash call gets 108 pct subscription rate
• Uganda shilling weakens on strong dollar demand from commercial banks
• Ethiopian Airlines steps up hunt for African connections
• Mauritius lowers sugar output forecast again
• Telkom Kenya gets $40 mln loan from European Investment Bank
• Islamic State claims attacks in West Africa caused 118 casaulties
• South Africa’s Life Healthcare FY earnings up 40.6 pct
• South Africa’s PPC half-year earnings rise on rest of Africa growth
• In Tanzania, a bulldozer president tests donors
• Kenya Power’s FY pretax profit dives 60 pct

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