By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asia stocks advance on US-China trade relief
• MSCI Asia-Pacific index up 0.7 pct, Nikkei hits 1-mth high
• Hopes for thaw in US-China trade row lift equities
• Dollar supported, US yields higher amid better risk appetite
• Palladium hovers near record high

Oil Markets

• Oil up on OPEC output cuts, hopes of easing US-China trade tensions
• OPEC says its Dec output fell by 751k bpd to 31.58 mln bpd
• Washington considers rolling back China import tariffs – WSJ
• But record US production of 11.9 mln bpd undermines OPEC efforts
• Brent up 0.9 pct at $61.72 per barrel (0339GMT)
• US WTI up 1.1 pct at $52.62 per barrel

Precious metals

• Palladium holds near record levels on supply woes; gold steady
• Spot palladium up 0.3 pct at $1,400.50 per ounce (0116GMT)
• Spot gold steady at $1,291.43 per ounce
• US gold futures down 0.1 pct at $1,291.10 per ounce

Grains

• Soybeans edge higher on US-China trade optimism
• Most active CBOT wheat futures down 0.3 pct at $5.16 per bushel (0115GMT)
• Most active corn futures down 0.4 pct at $3.78-1/2 per bushel
• Most active soy futures down 0.2 pct at $9.06-1/4 per bushel
• Most active rice futures unchanged at $10.50 per hundredweight

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

• Nigeria’s Buhari campaigns in Kaduna today; all eyes on him in regard of whether he will show up for debate tomorrow
• Nigeria’s Abubakar in US for events & meetings
• Nigeria’s Abubakar campaign organisation to be inaugurated today

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

• Sudan protesters, police clash as anti-Bashir unrest spreads
• Sudan inflation quickens to 72.9 pct in Dec – state news agency
• AU cites ‘serious doubts’, urges delay to final Congo election result
• Death toll in militia clashes in Libya’s capital rises to 10
• Morocco foils 89,000 illegal migration attempts in 2018 – interior ministry
• Ethiopia allows almost 1 million refugees to leave camps and work
• Mum on trial for FGM ‘used witchcraft’ to silence UK police
• Trump cancels Pelosi trip to Belgium, Afghanistan and Egypt
• Canadian found dead in Burkina Faso after kidnapping
• Zimbabwe charges activist pastor with subversion and incitement
• African growth too slow for expanding workforce – AfDB
• Britain “deeply concerned” at Zimbabwe unrest; summons ambassador
• Gunmen kill Ghanaian journalist who helped expose soccer graft
• Boko Haram claims attack on northeast Nigerian town of Rann – video
• Africa Crude – Nigerian Bonny and Qua Iboe offered at 10-mth highs
• More women catch ebola in Congo in ‘unexpected’ twist of gender roles
• South African rand falls after rate decision; stocks down
• Nigeria’s Forte Oil seeks to sell power unit to top investor
• South Africa’s central bank defends mandate, holds rate
• Gabon president back in Morocco after short stay in Libreville
• African bloc walks back calls for Congo election recount
• Investec, UK Climate Investments commit 1 bln rand to Africa renewables
• Big strike paralyses Tunisia, thousands protest over pay row
• South Africa’s central bank leaves repo rate at 6.75 pct
• Egypt renews detention of woman in BBC report over ‘false news’
• Egypt reopens five ports after weather improves
• Kenya’s Safaricom overdraft service exceeds expectations – CEO
• Kenyan shilling firms against the dollar
• Egypt resumes air freight service to US after 2015 halt
• Zimbabwe’s inflation soars to 42 pct y/y in Dec
• Ugandan shilling slightly weaker on pick-up in interbank demand
• Zimbabwe doctors treat 68 for gunshot wounds, police arrests hundreds
• South Africa’s Mr Price posts slow Q3 sales growth on lower clothes, Black Friday sales
• South Africa’s Woolworths posted tepid 26-wk sales

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