By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asia shares slip after China data
- Pound near 9-mth peak
- Pound eases after best 1-day percentage gain since Apr 2017
- Oil prices extend gains on output cuts, US sanctions
Oil Markets
- Oil edges higher, holds near 4-mth top on supply cuts
- Brent up 0.1 pct at $67.61 a barrel (0054GMT)
- WTI up 0.1 pct at $58.29 per barrel
Precious metals
- Gold prices dip on dollar recovery, Brexit relief
- Spot gold down 0.5 pct at $1,302.90 per ounce (0732GMT)
- US gold futures dips 0.5 pct at $1,302.40 an ounce
Grains
- Wheat rises despite ample global supplies
- Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.7 pct at $4.50-1/4 per bushel (0145GMT)
- Most active corn futures up 0.3 pct at $3.67-3/4 per bushel
- Most active soy futures up 0.4 pct at $9.04-1/2 per bushel
- Most active rice futures down 0.2 pct at $10.81 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Nigeria’s Senate to debate militarisation of elections
- Kenya’s new cabinet secretaries’ screening in parliament
- 2nd day of France’s Macron visit to Kenya
- One Planet summit in Nairobi, Kenya
- Nigeria’s newly elected legislators to get certificates from electoral body
- South Africa’s state capture inquiry continues
- South Africa’s PIC inquiry continues
- South Africa manufacturing production data for Jan 2019 due [fcst. -0.1% yy, prev. 0.1%]
- South Africa mining production data for Jan 2019 due [act. -3.3% yy, fcst. -5.5%, prev. -4.8%]
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Athletics – Kenya, Ethiopia urge IAAF not to cut Diamond League races
- More people die after Nigeria building collapse – emergency agency official
- Ethiopia crash black boxes arrive in Paris for analysis
- South Africa’s Eskom to implement power cuts due to generation shortfall
- Families of Ethiopia plane disaster victims visit crash site
- Airbus, Ethiopian Airlines discussing new plane deal – French official
- South African rand weaker before manufacturing, mining data
- Lion on the lam locked-up in South Africa jail
- In Kenya push, France seals business deals worth over 2 bln euros
- South Africa MTN aims to expand local shareholding of its Uganda unit to 20 pct – CEO
- South Africa’s Exxaro Resources FY earnings jump on higher coal prices
- Congo president frees several political prisoners, 700 others
- Egypt closes 4 ports due to bad weather
- South Africa sugar tax to cut industry revenues, prompt reform – USDA
- World Bank to lend Angola $1 bln
- Finland’s Outotec to build 80 mln euro sulphuric acid plant in Morocco
- Mozambique wants govt guarantees on Proindicus debt cancelled – PM
- Uganda accuses Rwanda of imposing trade embargo
- Africa Crude – Tender results awaited, Angolan clears
- Germany says will not analyse Ethiopia Airlines black box
- Zimbabwe doctors say patients dying due to drug, equipment shortages
- Algeria leaders ready to discuss system based on “will of the people”
- Sensing advantage, Algeria protest leaders hike pressure for change
- Sudan’s inflation falls to 44.29 pct y/y in Feb – agency
- Black boxes from Ethiopia crash to be sent to Germany – Ethiopian Airlines spokesman
- Sudan’s Bashir reshuffles cabinet – SUNA
- No bodies, only small remains recovered from Ethiopia Airlines crash site – spokesman
- Algeria’s govt ready for dialogue with opposition – deputy PM
- Army says it will preserve Algeria’s security in all circumstances
- Malawi flooding death toll rises to 56, braced for Cyclone Idai
- In Ivory Coast, organic chocolate made with a bicycle
- France’s BEA not contacted by Ethiopia over black box analysis
- MTN to list Nigeria unit towards April and May – MTN Nigeria CEO
- South Sudan peace deal doomed if disputes not settled – thinktank
- Italy’s Eni makes major oil find in Angola
- Building containing school collapses in Nigeria’s Lagos – emergency agency
- Pilot of crashed Ethiopia Airlines jet reported flight control problems – WSJ
- British body says has not been asked to take Ethiopia black boxes
- Uganda shilling little changed, inclined on weaker side
- South Africa’s business confidence falls for fourth straight quarter
- South Africa’s debt trajectory too high, no buffers for global crisis – cenbank
- Africa e-commerce firm Jumia pushes ahead with New York listing
- Egypt bars Boeing 737 MAX jets from its airspace – statement
- Kenya shilling under pressure against the dollar
- South Africa’s Libstar full-year earnings fall on impairment hit
- Veteran diplomat set to guide Algeria’s transition after protests
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters