By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asian shares nudge higher on stimulus hopes, recession fears ease
- Risk aversion eases on stimulus hopes
- Stocks get a boost, bond yields rebound
- Chinese shares choppy after loan prime rate cut
- Traders look to policymakers for stimulus clues
Oil Markets
- Oil prices slip, but supported by hopes trade tensions could ease
- OPEC sees bearish oil market for rest of 2019
- Brent down about 0.1% at $59.71 a barrel (0147GMT)
- WTI down 0.3% at $56.06
Precious metals
- Gold firms below $1,500 after slide
- Spot gold up 0.1% at $1,496.80/oz. (0050GMT)
- US gold futures down 0.4% at $1,505.90
Grains
- Corn firms on USDA crop condition report
- Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.2% at $4.73-1/4 per bushel (0043GMT)
- Most active corn futures up 0.6% at $3.76-3/4 per bushel
- Most active soy futures up 0.4% at $8.70-1/4 per bushel
- Most active rice futures up about 0.1% at $11.04 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Nigeria’s Buhari retreat for new cabinet; day 2
- South Africa’s Ramaphosa coordinating council (PCC) inaugural meeting
- WHO Africa regional conference in Brazzaville; 19-23 Aug
- South Africa state capture inquiry continues
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Regional Somali airport refues to allow Ethiopian plane to land
- Pompeo, in call with Egypt’s Shoukry, urges political solution in Libya
- South Sudan president replaces foreign minister
- At least 10 Burkina Faso soldiers killed in militant attack
- Police, soldiers patrol Zimbabwe’s Bulawayo as opposition protest thwarted
- Africa Oil – Angolan preliminary programme shows slight export drop
- Chad declares state of emergency in 3 regions due to security problems
- South Africa’s rand falls as investors weigh local, global risks
- Egypt to reopen historic Baron Empain Palace after $6 mln restoration
- Egypt sells 610 mln euros in euro-denominated t-bills – central bank
- Nigeria c.bank to defend reserves in wake of UK $9 bln court ruling
- Ex-Sudan president got millions from Saudis, court hears
- Nigerian dealers seek 1-yr t-bills at 14% as naira weakens – traders
- Tourism revenue in Tunisia grows 44% y/y
- Sudan’s ousted Bashir told investigators he got millions from Saudi Arabia – court witness
- UK $9 bln court ruling impacted Nigeria’s monetary policy – cenbank head
- Nigeria cbank head meets London fund managers – sources
- At least 19 dead after fuel truck crash in western Uganda – police
- Uganda shilling unchanged amid sluggish importer demand
- Ebola spreads to remote, militia-run Congo territory
- Egypt’s bourse chairman says he expects IPO of private company this year
- With reservoirs at risk Sierra Leone capital confronts water crisis
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters