By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Stocks jump on signs US, China close to trade deal
- Asia ex-Japan a tad higher; strong gains in Aussie, Japan shares
- E-minis for S&P 500 and Dow up 0.4 pct
- WSJ reports Trump-Xi summit likely this month
- Dollar subdued on modest inflation expectations
Oil Markets
- Oil firms as US-China trade deal appears close
- Brent up 0.3 pct at $65.25 a barrel (0022GMT)
- WTI up 0.5 pct at $56.05 a barrel
Precious metals
- Gold steadies as dollar wilts on Sino-US trade deal hopes
- Spot gold up about 0.3 pct at $1,296.52 per ounce (0124GMT)
- US gold futures down 0.2 pct at $1,297.10 an ounce
Grains
- Soybeans firm as US-China trade deal looks close
- Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.6 pct at $4.60 per bushel (0134GMT)
- Most active corn futures up 0.5 pct at $3.74-3/4 per bushel
- Most active soy futures up 0.4 pct at $9.15 per bushel
- Most active rice futures unchanged at $10.53 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- South Africa’s state capture inquiry resumes
- Eyes on potential legal challenge to Nigeria’s Buhari re-election by main opposition party
Key African events or data releases over the weekend & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Algeria’s Bouteflika offers to leave within one year if re-elected – Ennahar TV
- New protests in Algeria after Bouteflika submits re-election bid
- Athletics-Ethiopian Kejelcha smashes world indoor mile record
- Ebola treatment centre in Congo reopens after attack – ministry
- Egypt completes restoration of ancient Kom el-Shuqafa catacombs
- Egypt military court upholds jail sentence of former anti-graft chief – lawyer
- Egypt regulator cancels Thursday trades of Amer Group, Porto Group
- Sudan opposition party leader calls on Bashir to step down
- Islamic State says it killed 10 Nigerian soldiers – Amaq
- Ethiopians celebrate defeat of colonialists, call for unity
- 183 injured in Algeria protests – state news agency
- Africa Crude-Nigerian crude overhang dwindles
- South Africa retailer Edcon gets $191 recapitalisation
- Botswana’s president denies report of $600 mln loan to Zimbabwe
- Togo subsidises off-grid solar to extend electricity access to all
- Dutch prosecutors target Shell over Nigeria oil deal
- Emerging markets bring in $25.6 bln of foreign capital in Feb – IIF
- Uganda shilling weakens slightly amid energy, manufacturing demand
- Malawi offers $7,000 reward to stop albino killings
- Cash-strapped African airline Fastjet extends loan agreement terms
- Deaths in South Africa’s mines fell slightly in 2018
- Egypt’s Eastern Co private share offer oversubscribed – state media
- South Africa’s Absa PMI down as power cuts hurt business activity
- Angola LNG offers cargo for March delivery – sources
- Kenya says to sell 25-yr infrastructure bond this month
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
