By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asia shares slip as China’s Huawei in legal hot water
- Investors wary about growth after Caterpillar, Nvidia results
- Markets eye US-China trade talks, Fed policy meeting
Oil Markets
- Oil prices edge up on US sanctions against Venezuela
- US slaps sanctions on Venezuela state oil firm PdVSA
- Washington supports Venezuela opposition leader as President
- Analysts say global oil supply ample despite sanctions
- Brent up 0.3 pct at $60.08 per barrel (0215GMT)
- WTI up 0.3 pct at $52.17 a barrel
Precious metals
- Gold hits 7-mth peak on Fed pause views, trade tensions
- Spot gold up 0.1 pct at $1,304.42 per ounce (0115GMT)
- US gold futures steady $1,302.80 per ounce
Grains
- Soybean prices fall as US-China trade tensions mount
- Most active CBOT wheat futures down 0.2 pct at $5.17-3/4 per bushel (0131GMT)
- Most active corn futures down 0.1 pct at $3.79-1/4 per bushel
- Most active soy futures down 0.3 pct at $9.20-3/4 per bushel
- Most active rice futures down 0.1 pct at $10.71 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- South Africa’s state capture inquiry continues
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Angola readying first trip to borrowing markets since IMF deal
- Cameroon’s main opposition leader Kamto arrested for protest
- Nigeria adjourns trial of top judge suspended by president
- Children who survived Boko Haram attacks recover through drama, art
- Zimbabwe unions issue new strike ultimatum after wage talks deadlock
- Soccer – Former African Player of the Year Bwalya’s ban cut on appeal
- Burkina Faso jihadist clashes kill 14, including soldiers
- Africa Crude – Nigerian crude diffs soften as overhang persists
- Egypt foreign remittances up 5.7 pct in first 11 months of 2018
- Angola FX reserves at “low point”, fiscal consolidation needed – Treasury sec
- Angola will revise budget if oil trends below $68/bbl – Treasury sec.
- France’s Macro tells Egypt’s Sisi human rights go together with stability
- South African retailer Pepkor grows quarterly revenue 6 pct
- Bankers see central bank behind surprise rise of Egyptian pound
- Kenya central bank holds main lending rate at 9.0 pct
- Eastern Libya govt delegation visits key southern city of Sabha
- “Age is no obstacle” – Egyptian swimmer still a champion at 76
- Zambia’s mining investment arm ups stake in Copperbelt Energy
- Algeria plans solar energy tenders to tackle rising electricity needs
- Angola to hold first diamond auction
- Kenyan bank KCB looks to M&A deals for growth – CEO
- Judge questioned ex-France president Hollande over murder of reporters in Mali
- Soccer – African Nations Cup pushed back a week for Ramadan
- Electricity-hungry Cameroon boosts solar energy in push for rural power
- South Africa’ govt keen to see SAA debt restructured soon
- Egypt picks banks to manage international bond issues
- Sudan’s Bashir fights for survival as protests spread
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
