By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asian stocks off 4-mth lows, but Huawei row weighs
- Asian shares hobbled by US-China tech battle
- Spreadbetters expect firmer open for European stocks
- Fed’s Powell dismisses concerns about rising debt levels
- Chip-related shares under pressure
Oil Markets
- Oil rises on US-Iran tensions, but trade war concerns weigh
- Trump threatens Iran with “great force”
- OPEC expected to continue supply cuts into H2 2019
- Brent up 0.4 pct at $72.24 per barrel (0534GMT)
- WTI up 0.4 pct at $63.36 a barrel
Precious metals
- Gold eases as dollar steals safe-haven thunder
- Spot gold down 0.1 pct at $1,276.02 per ounce (0106GMT)
- US gold futures down 0.1 pct at $1,276.10 per ounce
Grains
- Corn hits near 1-yr high on slow US planting pace
- Most active CBOT wheat futures up 1.2 pct at $4.83-3/4 per bushel (0057GMT)
- Most active corn futures up 1.2 pct at $3.93-3/4 per bushel
- Most active soy futures up 0.8 pct at $8.38 per bushel
- Most active rice futures unchanged at $11.23 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Malawi elections; #MalawiDecides2019
- Ghana CEO summit in Accra; day 2
- South Africa state capture inquiry continues
- South Africa PIC inquiry continues
- UK-West Africa Agritech summit in Nigeria
- Nigeria’s Buhari expected back to Abuja from Saudi Arabia
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Malawians vote in tough election for President Mutharika
- Talks on Sudan’s political transition fail to produce deal for second day
- Ex-Credit Suisse banker pleads guilty to US charge over Mozambique loan
- Athletics – South Africa’s Semenya to contest 3,000-metres at Prefontaine Classic
- Libyan gunmen halt water pipeline to besieged Tripoli
- Soccer-Ghana striker Gyan calls time on international career
- Egypt’s prosecutor orders release of seven opposition figures – source
- Zimbabwe scraps official parity for fuel imports
- Congo Republic senate approves restructuring of China debt
- Kenya suspends gambling ad ban after musician complains
- Egypt women use ancient Indonesian martial arts to fight abuse
- Lawyers for South Africa’s Zuma tell court he is being treated unfairly
- Zambia seeks ‘divorce’ from Vedanta over alleged mining breaches
- Africa Oil – Flurry of tenders as Nigerian programmes emerge
- Schoolgirls used as human shields in Congo due to ‘magical powers’ – charities
- Kenya banks to test mobile lending app to ease SME squeeze
- Somalia passes petroleum law, paving way for exploration
- Algeria’s army chief says elections are best way out of crisis
- Coca-Cola ends plan to refranchise Africa bottling unit, keeps majority stake
- South Africa’s Amplats fires over 600 underground workers at its Mototolo mine
- Zambia’s Lungu seeks new investor in Vedanta-controlled copper mine
- Ethiopia starts rationing electricity for homes and industries
- Uganda shilling unchanged on lacklustre importer appetite
- South Africa’s Aspen sells Australian prescription portfolio to Mylan
- Tanzania’s fines Acacia Mining $2.4 mln over alleged pollution
- Nigeria’s economic growth slows in Q1 as oil sector shrinks
- Kenya shilling holds firm against the greenback
- Nigeria’s economy grew 2.01% in Q1 2019 – stats office
- South Africa’s Barloworld H1 earnings jump 14%
- Sudan military and opposition resume talks after street violence
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
