By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asia stocks wait on Sino-US talks, China trade data
• Nikkei firms as yen slips, eyes on China stocks
• Top US China officials to meet for tariff talks
• Dollar gains as yen, euro and pound all ebb

Oil Markets

• Oil prices edge up on hopes for US-China trade breakthrough
• Brent up 0.5 pct at $63.90 per barrel (0204GMT)
• US WTI up 0.5 pct at $54.15 per barrel

Precious metals

• Gold rises on hopes of Fed pause; trade talks in focus
• Spot gold up 0.2 pct at $1,308.20 per ounce (0105GMT)
• US gold futures down 0.2 pct at $1,311

Grains

• Soybeans extend losses, US-China trade talks ease pressure
• Most active CBOT wheat futures down 0.2 pct at $5.21 per bushel (0201GMT)
• Most active corn futures down 0.3 pct at $3.77-1/2 per bushel
• Most active soy futures down 0. 1 pct at $9.15-1/4 per bushel
• Most active rice futures unchanged at $10.26 per hundredweight

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

• South Africa’s Ramaphosa to respond to SONA debate today
• South Africa’s state capture inquiry resumes; didn’t sit yesterday
• South Africa mining production data for Dec 2018 [fcst. 0.3% yy, prev. -5.6%]

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

• US-Libya forces raid al Qaeda site in Libya city of Ubari – Libyan official
• Islamic State says attacked Nigerian governor’s convoy
• Algeria’s Bouteflika dismisses national police chief
• Sudan opposition unite in calling for Bashir to step down
• Eskom in danger of collapse without bailout, South Africa says
• 3 Americans among 5 killed in Kenya plane crash – source
• African Crude – Nigerian diffs hold steady as March overhang remains
• Camera spots Kenya’s rare black panther
• South African rand slumps on Eskom fears, US inflation
• Kenya shilling firms on inflows from horticulture exports
• Nigeria’s 2018 capital imports rise as funds bet on equities
• Nissan agrees JV to build Algeria car assembly plant
• South Africa’s Sapref to close for routine maintenance from May to July
• South Africa’s Vodacom, Telkom welcome ECA bill withdrawal
• Libya dreams of mega port in history-laden east
• Nigeria tribunal issues arrest warrant for top judge before elections
• Namibia’s central bank expects first economic growth in 3 years
• South Africa’s retail sales slump in Dec after Black Friday boost
• Cameroon main opposition leader charged with rebellion – lawyer
• South Africa retail sales down 1.4 pct y/y in December
• South Africa not planning to privatise Eskom after split – Gordhan
• Libya’s Arabian Gulf ups output to 314,000 bpd as wells connected – source
• South Africa’s Eskom woes partly due to human error – govt
• South Africa’s Eskom extends power cuts to 4^th day as capacity shortage persists

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