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