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 4th day as capacity shortage persists
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
