By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Stock losses deepen as US puts yuan in crosshairs
- MSCI Asia-Pacific index down 0.85%, Nikkei loses 1.2%
- Washington determines China a currency manipulator
- Yuan still weak but retreat stalls on firmer-than-expected fix
- US treasury 10-yr yield drops to lowest since Oct 2016
Oil Markets
- Oil pirces edge up but US-China trade war drags
- Brent up 0.17% at $59.91 a barrel (0149GMT)
- WTI up 0.13% at $54.76
Precious metals
- Gold firms near 6-yr peak as trade tensions trigger safe-haven bets
- SPDR Gold holdings up 0.5% on Monday
- Dollar slips to 2-wk low
- Spot gold may fall into $1,441-$1,449/oz range – techs
- Spot gold steady at $1,462.50 per ounce (0445GMT)
- US gold futures down 0.1% at $1,475.30/oz
Grains
- US soybeans fall on USDA crop report
- Most active CBOT wheat futures down 0.5% at $4.92-1/4 per bushel (0103GMT)
- Most active corn futures unchanged at $4.14-3/4 per bushel
- Most active soy futures down 0.1% at $8.67-1/2 per bushel
- Most active rice futures down 0.2% at $11.41 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Mozambique election peace pledge agreement signing in Maputo; Namibia’s Geingob attending
- SADC industrial week & exhibition in Tanzania; 5-9 Aug
- 2019 AGOA forum in Abidjan, Ivory Coast; 3-6 Aug
- Malawi opposition mass protest to demand resignation of electoral commission chair
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- South Africa’s Royal Bafokeng Platinum H1 loss widens
- South Africa’s Nedbank posts higher half-year profit
- Eastern Libya force strikes Misrata air college – source, witness
- Drone strike on town in southern Libya kills at least 43 – official
- Nigeria to allow Shi’ite leader to seek medical treatment abroad
- Uganda presidential hopeful says ally dead after abduction, torture
- Algeria court orders former ministers held over corruption allegation – state TV
- Uganda says starts its largest-ever ebola vaccine trial
- Nigeria’s Access, Union Bank tap local bond market, issue 30 bln naira bonds, as yields fall
- Tunisia annual inflation eases to 6.5% in July
- Egypt digital payments company Fawry IPO oversubscribed 30 times
- Africa Oil – Higher fuel oil margin buoys Angolan, IOC takes Nigerian
- Gambia to release 3 hitmen who confessed to high-profile killings – minister
- Tanzania charges journalist, rights groups say case politically motivated
- South Africa’s rand hits 7-wk low as trade tensions heat up
- Zimbabwe secures more electricity imports to ease outages
- Libya’s NOC completes Bouri oil field maintenance – statement
- Kosmos Energy sees Mauritania, Senegal deal by year-end
- South Africa’s private-sector activity slips further in July – PMI
- Kenya shilling holds steady against the dollar
- Egypt’s non-oil private sector grows for the second time in 2019 – PMI
- Egypt – 17 dead in car explosion in central Cairo – health ministry
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
