By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Stocks slump as Fed’s outlook on rates disappoints
- S&P 500 hits 15-mth low, Fed seen less dovish than hoped
- 10-yr US treasury yields at lowest level since April
- Topix, KOSPI fall into bear market to join Chinese benchmarks
- European stocks seen opening down more than 1 pct
Oil Markets
- Oil prices resume fall, shed most of their gains from last session
- Worries over weakening demand, oversupply drag on oil prices
- Traders starting to wind up work for the year – analysts
- Drop in US crude inventories offers some support to markets
- Brent down 1.2 pct at $56.58 per barrel (0129GMT)
- US WTI down 1.6 pct at $47.39 per barrel
Precious metals
- Gold steadies, Fed signals ‘some’ rate hikes for 2019
- Spot gold up 0.1 pct at $1,244.41 per ounce (0141GMT)
- US gold futures down 0.7 pct at $1,247.4 per ounce
Grains
- Soybeans fall to 2-wk low as Chinese demand disappoints
- Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.2 pct at $5.23-1/2 per bushel (0203GMT)
- Most active corn futures unchanged at $3.81-3/4 per bushel
- Most active soy futures down 0.2 pct at $8.98 per bushel
- Most active rice futures down 0.6 pct at $10.44 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Togo parliamentary elections today
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- South African rand gains as Fed signals fewer hikes for 2019
- In presidential election, Congo seeks first democratic transfer of power
- Morocco links suspect in Scandinavian women’s killing to militant group
- El Sharara oilfield to reopen, Libyan govt says
- State of emergency declared in Sudanese city after party HQ torched
- Clashes erupt after Congo vote campaigning halted in Kinshasa
- Opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi greeted by thousands upon return to Sudan
- South Sudan forces assault peace deal monitors – group
- Nigeria leader presents 8.83 trln naira 2019 budget to raucous lawmakers
- Lectured by Sisi on body weight, Egyptians respond with jokes
- Tunisia busts cell planning attacks on security forces
- Lonmin’s biggest mining union tries to block Sibanye deal
- South Africa issues arrest warrant for Zimbabwe’s Grace Mugabe
- IMF’s Lagarde says South Africa has not requested financial support
- Tunisia teachers march for better wages and conditions
- Sudan 2019 budget includes 66 bln Sudan pounds in subsidies – PM
- Mogadishu-backed candidate wins test-case regional Somali election
- Girl, 10, dies after genital cutting in Sierra Leone
- Kinshasa governor orders halt to campaigning for Congo presidential vote
- Ivory Coast to add 643 MW of power to grid by 2021
- Nigeria unemployment rises to 23.1 pct in Q3 from 18.1 pct year earlier – stats office
- Nigeria land feud victim bears scars of attack
- Nomads and farmers in fight for Nigeria’s heartland
- Dozens killed in northwestern Congo ethnic clashes
- Ugandan shilling a touch firmer on interbank selling
- Kenyan shilling strengthens amid tight money market liquidity
- 2 ex-presidents compete in Madagascar run-off vote
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters