By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asian stocks pause amid worries over growth and trade
• FT report on US-China talks rekindle trade worries
• Data from US, Japan and Canada miss forecasts
• BOJ keeps ultra loose monetary policy, cuts inflation forecast

Oil Markets

• Oil steady on hopes Chinese fiscal stimulus will stem economic slowdown
• Brent crude futures virtually unchanged at $61.49 per barrel (0314GMT)
• US WTI crude futures down 3 cents at $52.98 per barrel

Precious metals

• Gold steady on global growth, Sino-US trade worries
• Spot gold little changed at $1,284.19 per ounce (0112GMT)
• US gold futures steady at $1,283.40 per ounce

Grains

• Soybean prices rise on US-China trade hopes
• Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.3 pct at $5.23 per bushel (0209GMT)
• Most active corn futures up 0.4 pct at $3.80-1/2 per bushel
• Most active soy futures up 0.5 pct at $9.14 per bushel
• Most active rice futures up 0.2 pct at $10.68 per hundredweight

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

• Ghana central bank 3-day MPC meeting starts; decision announced on 28 Jan
• South Africa state capture, PIC & NPA inquiries continue
• South Africa inflation data for December due [fcst. 5.1% yy , prev. 5.2%]

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

• Egypt’s MNHD calls off planned merger with SODIC – document
• Sudan protesters clash with police in ongoing unrest
• Sex traffickers hold 20,000 Nigerian women and girls in Mali, agency says
• Abiy’s Ethiopia pardons 13,000 accused of treason or terrorism
• Kenyan police on trial over killing of UK aristocrat’s son
• As election nears, Nigeria recommends 50 pct minimum wage rise
• Africa Crude – Spot trade muted amid tenders, lack of allocations
• Nigeria trade union rejects minimum wage recommendation – spokesman
• Uganda deports MTN execs, cites national security – police
• Italy’s Salvini bashes France over Libya role in new diplomatic spat
• South Africa state pension fund suspends officials over technology deal
• Floating Nigerian currency would cause crisis, central bank head says
• Zimbabwe president condemns crackdown, backers raise impeachment fears
• EU, AU signal support, but no acclaim, for Congo president-elect
• Morocco’s trade deficit rises 8 pct in 2018
• South Africa’s Gold Fields denies rumours of merger with AngloGold
• Somalis turn a profit by transforming their scrap plastic
• Almost 500 migrants brought back to Libya after foiled attempts to reach Italy
• South Africa rand slips on global growth fears
• South Africa’s AMCU issues further strike threat to Sibanye
• Kenya and Ghana sound out banks for international bond offerings
• Nigeria’s central bank providing 75 bln naira financing to Dangote’s oil refinery
• MTN has paid $53 mln to settle Nigeria dispute – central bank
• Algeria’s annual inflation slightly down to 4.3 pct in December
• Nigeria’s ‘bad bank’ seeks investors for state-backed lender Polaris
• Morocco inflation rises to 1.9 pct y/y, planning agency says
• Egypt says dozens of militants killed in Sinai peninsula
• South Africa’s economy to grow to 1.3 pct in 2019 – World Bank
• 144 rescued migrants taken to Libya despite dangers – UN
• Uganda shilling unchanged amid flat importer and bank demand
• South Africa says there is no Saudi proposal on Denel under consideration
• South Africa’s Multichoice sweetens Naspers split with dividend plan
• South Africa’s Ramaphosa calls for lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwe rights commission: security forces instigated systematic torture after protests
• Steinhoff says firm linked to former partner claims it is owed $330 mln
• Kenya shilling firms against dollar on tightening liquidity, remittances
• Zimbabwe will investigate misconduct by security forces over protests – Mnangagwa

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