By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asian shares fall from 5-mth highs, pound jumps on Brexit delay hopes
- Sterling climbs to $1.3149 on reports Brexit could be delayed
- Asian shares falter at 5-mth top
- Investors eye Fed chairman Powell’s Senate testimony
Oil Markets
- Oil steadies after selloff; market eyes Trump intervention
- Brent up 0.3 pct at $64.95 a barrel (0108GMT)
- WTI up 0.1 pct at $55.54 a barrel
Precious metals
- Palladium soars past $1,550 on mine strike fears; gold firm
- Spot palladium up 0.7 pct at $1,552 per ounce (0128GMT)
- Spot gold flat at $1,327.40 per ounce
- US gold futures steady at $1,329.9 per ounce
Grains
- Wheat slumps further to 10-mth low
- Most active CBOT wheat futures down 1 pct at $4.68 per bushel (0152GMT)
- Most active corn futures down 0.7 pct at $3.68 per bushel
- Most active soy futures down 0.5 pct at $9.07 per bushel
- Most active rice futures down 0.2 pct at $10.32 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Botswana central bank to decide interest rate [fcst. 5.0%, prev. 5.0%]
- South Africa state capture inquiry continues
- Nigeria presidential votes collation continues, winner could be declared Tuesday or Wednesday
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Nigeria election’s early tally puts Buhari ahead; opposition rejects it
- Sudan’s Bashir bans protests in new emergency measures
- Libya’s NOC chairman in UAE to discuss Sharara oilfield crisis
- Zimbabwe promises fiscal discipline as it launches new currency
- Egypt’s Sisi defends death penalty at summit with Europe
- Africa Crude – Diffs hold, demand for Angolan still strong
- Sudan’s Bashir regulates foreign currency trade
- Street unrest breaks down taboo in Algeria: talk is of politics at last
- Zimbabwe to manage volatility of new RTGS currency – finmin
- South Africa’s rand gains on trade deal hopes; stocks weak
- UK, South Africa finalising interim post-Brexit trade deal
- Attackers torch ebola treatment centre in Congo, patients evacuated
- Harry and Meghan dress down to meet children on Morocco trip
- Operational hitches in Nigeria’s elections a burden on voters – EU observer mission
- Nigeria stocks, bonds rise after presidential election
- Gabon president returns home for second time since suffering stroke
- Shopping street rises from the ashes of war in Libya’s Benghazi
- South Africa cancels Bosasa prison contracts after bribe accusations
- Tunisia central bank says dinar hard to defend as reserves fall
- Nigeria election delay probably hit voter turnout – US observer
- In tentative rollout, Zimbabwe banks start trading new currency
- Kenya’s KenGen gets contract with Ethiopian Electric Power for geothermal drilling
- Nigeria’s election generally peaceful – AU observers
- Kenya shilling firm amid end month demand
- Angola oil output fell in 2018 due to ageing fields – Sonangol
- Zambia, Zimbabwe cut Kariba Dam power generation
- Egypt’s Beltone Financial pays settlement to end suspension of underwriting unit – source
- South Africa’s Sasol half-year profit rises
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters