By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asia stocks rise as stimulus, policy hopes calm nervous investors
- MSCI Asia-Pacific index up 0.25%, Nikkei gains 0.7%
- Equities up amid hopes for German stimulus, China rate steps
- Safe-havens such as US treasuries, yen fall back
- Oil gains along with equities, OPEC still bearish in outlook
Oil Markets
- Oil rises after Saudi oilfield attack, but recession worries cap gains
- Yemen’s Houthi drone attack on Saudi oilfield causes gas fire
- OPEC see bearish oil market for rest of 2019
- US drillers add oil rigs for 1st week since June – Baker Hughes
- Brent up 0.8% at $59.09 a barrel (0035GMT)
- WTI up 0.7% at $55.26
Precious metals
- Gold prices fall on stronger dollar, equities
- Spot gold down 0.5% at $1,506/oz. (0114GMT)
- US gold futures down 0.4% at $1,517.60
Grains
- Corn prices drop on ample US production
- Most active CBOT wheat futures down 0.8% at $4.73-1/2 per bushel (0117GMT)
- Most active corn futures down 1.3% at $3.75-3/4 per bushel
- Most active soy futures down 0.6% at $8.74-1/2 per bushel
- Most active rice futures unchanged at $11.20 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Rwanda’s Kagame state visit to Namibia; 19-21 Aug
- Ghana’s Akufo-Addo to open AfCFTA conference in Accra; 19-21 Aug
- South Africa’s state capture inquiry resumes
- Nigeria federal revenue allocation committee meeting
Key African events or data releases over the weekend & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- With reservoirs at risk, Sierra Leone capital confronts water crisis
- Nigeria awards crude-for-product swap deals to 15 firms
- Zimbabwe police ban opposition protest planned for Monday
- Sudan opposition coalition appoints five civilian members of sovereign council
- Africa development bank says risks to growth ‘increasing by the day’
- Eastern Libya forces damaged civilian airport in western Libya – UN
- Egypt’s Sisi promotes Suez deputy chairman to head Canal Authority
- Sudan army and civilians seal interim power-sharing deal
- Sudan military names 3 members for sovereign council – Sky News Arabia
- Libya reopens southern airport closed since 2014
- Zimbabwe opposition backs down from protest to avoid “blood in the streets”
- Leader of Kenya drug organization sentenced to 25 years in US
- UK judge to allow firm to try to seize $9 bln Nigeria assets in gas dispute
- Ebola spread to new Congo area shows flawed response – aid workers
- Africa Oil – Angola October programmes begin to emerge
- China’s Huayou pulls out of Congo cobalt mine investment after price slump
- South Africa’s 3-mth t-bill average yield slips at 7.13%
- Nigeria annual inflation at 11.08% in July – stats office
- Zimbabwe opposition calls off protest after failed court bid to lift ban
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
