By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asian stocks touch 4-mth peak on US-China trade deal hopes
- Trump says could extend China trade deal deadline
- Safe-haven govt bonds come under pressure
- Dollar capped, crude oil extends rally
- Kiwi jumps after RBNZ keeps rates on hold
Oil Markets
- Oil prices rise 1 pct amid OPEC supply cuts, US sanctions on Venezuela
- Brent up 0.9 pct at $62.95 per barrel (0138GMT)
- US WTI up 1 pct at $53.64 per barrel
Precious metals
- Gold steady as Sino-US trade hopes drag dollar
- Spot gold steady at $1,311 per ounce (0115GMT)
- US gold futures mostly unchanged at $1,314.20 per ounce
Grains
- Soybean prices inch down, retreat from 5-day high
- Most active CBOT wheat futures down 0.1 pct at $5.19-1/4 per bushel (0234GMT)
- Most active corn futures down 0.2 pct at $3.77-1/2 per bushel
- Most active soy futures down about 0.1 pct at $9.16-3/4 per bushel
- Most active rice futures up 0.4 pct at $10.29 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Trial of Nigeria’s suspended chief judge Onnoghen continues
- Nigeria capital importation data for Q4 2018 expected
- Namibia interest rate decision today [fcst. 6.75%, prev. 6.75%]
- South Africa retail sales data for Dec 2018 due [fcst. 2.5% yy, prev. 3.1%]
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Deadly stampede in Nigeria at political rally days ahead of election
- Libya committed to resuming ouput at El Sharara once worker safety is assured – NOC
- Malawi boy saves famine-stricken village with wind turbine in Berlinale movie
- Morocco arrests 3 Frenchmen suspected of terrorism financing
- Missing Kenya rights activist found dead – police
- Egypt plugs hub status as Shell, Eni, Exxon win energy concessions
- Dana Gas to drill in what says could be Egypt’s next mega gas field
- Actor dreams of second chance as Somalia rebuilds its theatre
- Africa Crude – India’s IOC issues two new buy tenders
- Africa welcomes refugees but freedom, jobs needed – aid groups
- France bombed Chad rebels to stop coup d’etat – foreign minister
- South Africa’s Eskom extends power cuts as crisis persists
- South Africa looks to Enel for help to end power outages – Gordhan
- Libya assembly head calls for lifting of force majeure at top oil field
- Sudan security arrests professors as protests rage on – witnesses
- OPEC cuts oil supply steeply but sees growing 2019 headwinds
- Nigeria economy grows at fastest pace in 2 years as election nears
- South Africa’s Sibanye-Stillwater may restructure loss-making gold shafts
- Kenya central bank says to hold rate-setting meeting on March 27
- Shell aims to increase LNG exports from Egypt – executive
- Harmony Gold in talks to build solar power plant
- South Africa’s SPAR group posts 8.2 pct rise in 17-week sales
- Uganda calls on mobile money to cultivate new debt investors
- Uganda shilling unchanged amid sagging demand from importers, banks
- South Africa’s manufacturing output up 0.1 pct y/y in December
- Sluggish economy haunts Nigerian president at ballot box
- Egypt announces winners in oil and gas exploration bid round
- South Africa’s Eskom aims to end power cuts by end of this week
- South Africa’s unemployment rate falls to 27.1 pct in Q4
- Rwanda’s trade minister says she hopes all AU countries will join FTA within 5 years
- Kenya shilling firms; remittances help
- In Ethiopia, climate change leads herders to retrain as farmers
- Nigeria’s economy grew by 2.38 pct in Q4 2018 – stats office
- South Africa oil firm PetroSA looks to plug Eskom’s diesel gap
- South Africa’s Harmonh Gold half-year profit slumps 94 pct
- South Africa power firm Eskom to cut 3,000MW from national grid
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
