By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asia shares hug weekly gains, wait on US jobs test
- Asia stocks ex-Japan camp near highest since August
- Nikkei holds 2.8 pct gain for the week
- Yen eases as Sino-US trade talks slowly progress
Oil Markets
- Oil prices dip amid economic concerns, but on track for weekly gain
- Oil set for weekly gain on OPEC supply cuts, US sanctions
- But economic concerns weigh on demand outlook
- Brent down 15 cents at $69.25 a barrel (0455GMT)
- WTI down 1 cent at $62.09
Precious metals
- Gold steadies above 10-wk low; focus on US jobs data
- Spot gold flat at $1,291.71 per ounce (0104GMT)
- US gold futures up 0.1 pct at $1,295.40 an ounce
Grains
- Soybeans set for biggest weekly gain since early Jan on US-China trade hopes
- Most active CBOT wheat futures down 0.9 pct at $4.66-3/4 per bushel (0113GMT)
- Most active corn futures down 0.3 pct at $3.64-1/4 per bushel
- Most active soy futures down 0.4 pct at $9.02-3/4 per bushel
- Most active rice futures down 0.2 pct at $10.53 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Nigeria’s Buhari in Jordan for MENA World Economic Forum
- South Africa state capture inquiry resumes
- Kenya by-elections in Embakasi South, Ugenya and Lelan Ward
- South Africa gross FX reserves for Mar-19 [act. $49.7B, prev. $50.8B]
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- South Africa rand set for 3 pct weekly gain after Moody’s review delay
- Ethiopia crash raises questions over handling of faults on Boeing 737 MAX
- South Africa’s net foreign reserves fall to $43.3 bln in March
- Eastern Libya commander orders forces to move on Tripoli
- Ethiopia inquiry shows Boeing MAX hurtling uncontrolled to disaster
- Pentagon to do new ‘narrowly-scooped’ review of deadly 2017 Niger ambush
- Forces allied to eastern Libya military take over checkpoint west of Tripoli – resident
- Islamic State says it killed 18 soldiers in west Africa
- East Libya forces say 2 soldiers injured in clashes during Tripoli advance
- Car bomb explodes near police academy in Somali capital – police
- Islamic State says killed 13 Nigerian soldiers in attacks
- US, France, others urge de-escalation of tensions in Libya
- Riff Raff the South African elephant dodges death sentence
- Armed groups from Libya’s Misrata are moving to defend Tripoli – residents
- Nigeria’s Oando sells stake in gas company for $41.5 mln to cut debt
- Eastern Libya forces secure Gharyan, arrive in al-Heira area – spokesman
- UN’s Guterres says there is no military solution to Libya’s crisis
- Nigeria to issue first 30-yr naira bond
- Egypt offers euro-denominated bonds on London stock exchange – bank
- Oando sells 25 pct in Nigeria gas company to private equity firm Helios
- Kenya forecasts 6.3 pct economic growth in 2019
- Egypt set to raise 2 bln euro with dual-tranche bond – document
- Congo arrests rebel leader wanted for mass rape
- Uganda and Tanzania currencies seen falling; next week
- Vodacom unit alleged to have caused $4.76 mln loss to Tanzania
- London court orders Djibouti to pay $385 mln for exclusivity breach – UAE news agency
- Uganda shilling weakens on banks’ demand
- Ethiopia to investigate crashed plane problems for up to a year
- Fire disrupts terminal at Kenya’s main airport in Nairobi
- Ethiopia Airlines says plane repeatedly nose-dived before crash
- Uganda says kidnapped American tourist did not take armed guard
- UN chief concerned by military movement in Libya, sees risk of confrontation
- South African rand weaker as govt mulls more Eskom support
- Kenya shilling edges up against the dollar
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
