By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asia shares up on Fed outlook
• Aussie dollar seesaws after strong jobs data
• Fed minutes (29-30 Jan meeting) provide some relief
• Investors expect US, China to reach trade deal next month

Oil Markets

• Oil ticks over near 2019 highs amid OPEC cuts
• But economic slowdown applies brakes
• Brent up 6 cents at $67.14 per barrel (0256GMT)
• WTI up 17 cents at $57.33

Precious metals

• Gold hovers near 10-mth peak amid steady dollar after Fed minutes
• Spot gold up 0.1 pct at $1,339.99 per ounce (0054GMT)
• US gold futures down 0.4 pct at $1,342.5 per ounce

Grains

• Wheat prices inch up from 7-mth low, but soybeans edge down
• Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.4 pct at $4.82-1/2 per bushel (0157GMT)
• Most active corn futures up about 0.1 pct at $3.71 per bushel
• Most active soy futures down 0.1 pct at $9.01-1/2 per bushel
• Most active rice futures up 0.4 pct at $10.21 per hundredweight

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

• Ghana state of the nation address (SONA) by Akufo-Addo today
• Speech by presidential contender of main opposition Nigerian party expected
• Rwanda central bank to present monetary policy & financial stability statement

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

• South Africa’s Steinhoff gets shareholder petition for inquiry before Dutch court
• South Africa’s Woolworths half-year earnings drop
• France sale to Egypt helps lift EU wheat off 7-mth low
• South Africa pledges $5 bln Eskom bailout as budget creaks
• Zimbabwe scraps bond-note dollar peg, paves way for exchange rate slide
• South Africa’s budget shows limited fiscal flexibility – Moody’s
• Africa Crude – Nigeria April programmes expected, tenders in focus
• Egypt executes nine over public prosecutor’s killing
• South Africa’s rand flat after slipping in knee-jerk reaction to budget
• UN reports mass rape, killings, torture in South Sudan, seeks oil scrutiny
• Tunisia central bank sees inflation below 7 pct after rate rise
• Sudan’s economic decline provides fuel for anger against Bashir
• Zambia, Zimbabwe shortlist foreign firms to build hydro plant
• Ivory Coast cuts 2019 cashew farmgate price 25 pct
• Deutsche Bank to rebuild in South Africa, months after cuts
• US, Britain, Norway alarmed at escalationg violence in South Sudan
• EU illegal migrants arrivals fall but stronger borders needed – Frontex head
• Bank Audi studies buying National Bank of Greece’s Egypt unit – source
• Petrol suppliers cut price to encourage Nigerians to travel to vote again
• “Two is enough”, Egypt tells poor families as population booms
• Libya’s ancient ruins blighted by theft, shunned by tourists
• Zimbabwe scraps bond note, US dollar peg – central bank
• Tunisia central bank chief says raising rates not enough to curb inflation
• Zimbabwe launches forex interbank market amid currency crunch
• South Africa Eskom dollar bonds broadly gain after budget
• South Africa to bail out Eskom without taking on debts
• VW South Africa targets record output despite headwinds
• South Africa dollar bonds fall after growth forecasts slashed in budget
• South Africa’s Eskom to get 69 bln rand bailout over 3 years
• Barrick outlines proposal to settle Acacia dispute with Tanzania
• South Africa miner Sibanye raises loss estimate by $100 mln-plus
• Tanzania rebases economy, 2015 GDP now 3.8 pct larger – stats office
• Egypt issues $4 bln in foreign currency bonds – finance ministry
• Zambia finmin orders cleanup of public payroll
• ‘No place to sell’: thousands hit in Zimbabwe clampdown on street vendors
• Zambia debt weighing on central bank reserves – governor
• Kenya paves way for green bonds in 2019 with new rules
• Egypt executes 9 men over killing of public prosecutor
• Chinese “Ivory Queen” smuggler sentenced to 15 years in jail in Tanzania
• Uganda ruling party backs Museveni re-election bid
• South Africa’s EOH Holdings founder and chair resigns
• Kenya shilling steady, expected to firm due to remittance inflows
• Egypt will issue more international bonds by end June – minister
• South Africa consumer inflation falls to 4.0 pct in January
• South Africa Bidcorp HY profit rise on upbeat European market

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