By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asian shares flat as Fed looms, May’s Brexit deal in chaos
• Wall St advance, dollar flat as traders brace for a dovish Fed
• Pound drifts as UK parliament bans vote on same Brexit deal

Oil Markets

• Oil nears 2019 highs on OPEC supply cuts, US sanctions
• OPEC cancels April meeting, extends output cuts until June
• Rising US production, economic slowdown cap prices
• Shanghai crude jumps above Brent
• Brent up 10 cents at $67.64 per barrel (0314GMT)
• WTI largely unchanged at $59.10

Precious metals

• Palladium strikes record high on supply squeeze; gold gains
• Palladium hits a record high of $1,591/oz
• Gold edges up for a 3^rd consecutive session
• SPDR gold holdings post biggest daily gain since Jan 2018
• Spot gold up 0.3 pct at $1,306.76 per ounce (0339GMT)
• US gold futures up 0.4 pct at $1,306.80

Grains

• Wheat trades firm near 12-day high
• Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.7 pct at $4.59-3/4 per bushel (0152GMT)
• Most active corn futures up 0.2 pct at $3.72-1/4 per bushel
• Most active soy futures up about 0.1 pct at $9.06-1/4 per bushel
• Most active rice futures up about 0.2 pct at $10.74 per hundredweight

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

• Malawi presidential campaigns start
• South Africa state capture inquiry continues
• South Africa PIC inquiry continues
• South Africa’s Gordhan & Eskom executives’ briefing on loadshedding

Key African events or data releases (15-18 Mar) & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]

• Ethiopia and Indonesia crash parallels heap pressure on Boeing
• Hundreds protest in Sudan, keep up pressure on Bashir
• Firestone Liberia to lay off 800 staff on low rubber prices
• Nigeria’s defeated main opposition candidate challenges election result
• Algeria suspends all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 flights – Ennahar TV
• Mali weekend attack killed 23 soldiers in total – army
• South Sudan ‘superhero’ wins award for work with children born of hope
• Death toll in Mozambique cyclone, floods could surpass 1,000 – president
• UN hosting Western Sahara talks in Switzerland this week
• Libya agrees $34 bln budget for 2019 after months of disputes
• Algeria’s Bouteflika defies pressure to step down immediately
• Africa Crude – Angola to boost crude exports in May; Senegal seeks Nigerian
• South Africa’s rand weakens on power cuts, stocks rise
• Congo suspends seating of new senators following disputed election
• Algeria’s Bouteflika says national conference to take place shortly – TV
• Botswana’s Debswana to extend life of Jwaneng diamond mine to 2035
• Tanzania sets up mineral trading centres to curb illegal gold exports
• Algeria army should be responsible for finding solution to crisis – chief of staff
• Former Steinhoff chairman Wiese open to talks over $4 bln claim
• In Kenya push, France seals business deals worth over 2 bln euros
• Russia diamond miner Alrosa wants controlling stake to mine in Zimbabwe
• Kenya dollar bonds reach 10-mth high as rally resumes
• South Africa power cuts to continue as Eskom battles shortages
• Swiss Re says helped insure Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines
• 3 Egypt companies aiming for IPO in 2019 – bourse head
• Egypt signs $2 bln deal to buy Russia fighter jets – Kommersant
• Uganda shilling unchanged amid flat appetite for dollars
• Uganda ruling party MPs back country’s aging leader for another term
• Algeria deputy PM to make foreign tour to discuss events at home
• Kenya shilling under pressure from importer demand
• At least 89 dead in Zimbabwe as Cyclone Idai leaves trail of destruction
• Algeria unions refuse to support PM’s efforts to form govt
• South Africa’s Eskom to continue rolling blackouts this week
• Gunmen attack Mali army base, kill at least 16 soldiers
• US agencies have not validated Ethiopia Airlines black box data – US officials
• Algeria PM starts talks on new cabinet as gas field workers protest
• France’s BEA says Ethiopian jet’s flight data successfully recovered
• Workers in Algeria’s Hassi Rmel gas field protest, output unaffected – Sonatrach official
• Egypt pound appreciates to highest in over 2 years
• After weeks of protest, Algeria PM starts talks on new govt
• Algeria PM has started talks to form new govt – state news agency
• Algeria c.bank raises reserves requirements for banks to 12 pct – APS agency
• OPEC’s Barkindo says compliance with supply cut deal improving
• OPEC’s Barkindo says rebound in oil investments “very minimal”
• Ethiopia crash probe advances with voice download, fresh details
• Ethiopia jet asked permission to climb then vanished – source
• South Africa’s Eskom ups power cuts as storm hits Mozambique imports
• Ethiopia Airlines says crash victim DNA tests will take up to 6 months
• 10 Airlines fear long grounding of Boeing 737 MAX jets after Ethiopian crash
• Algerians demand Bouteflika quits in biggest protest yet
• Nigeria school building collapse killed 20 – Lagos health official
• Excavators may be damaging Ethiopia crash site – diplomats
• 75 protesters arrested, 11 policemen injured in Algiers – police
• Congo ex-leader Kabila’s coalition wins decisive senate majority
• Zuma-era officials feature on South Africa’s ANC election list
• PwC investigation finds $7.4 bln accounting fraud at Steinhoff, company says
• US diplomat urges transparent land reform in South Africa
• Africa Crude – IOC issues new tender, Angola programme awaited
• US “very enthusiastic” about Zimbabwe’s new govt – deputy secretary of state
• South Africa’s rail service places four executives on paid leave amid graft allegations
• Athletics – Kenya, Ethiopia urge IAAF not to cut Diamond League races
• South Africa’s Competition Tribunal approves Glencore’s bid for Chevron subsidiary
• South Africa court blocks mine union’s plan for industry-wide strike
• South Africa’s Tsogo Sun CEO to retire, hotel business spin-off to go ahead
• Botswana’s Debswana targets diamond output of 24 mln carats in 2019
• Zimbabwe inflation quickens to 59.39 pct y/y in February
• Nigeria consumer inflation falls slightly to 11.31 pct in Feb – stats office
• A leader of Algeria’s ruling FLN party says Bouteflika is “history now”
• Kenya’s Commercial Bank of Africa says shareholders accept NIC Group

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