By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Economy hopes support shares, oil edges up on Mideast tensions
• Share prices near this year’s peak in many markets
• Sterling rises after Juncker’s comments on Brexit
• China cuts new 1-yr lending benchmark rate by 5 bps

Oil Markets

• Oil prices march to biggest weekly gain in months as MidEast tensions dominate
• Brent, WTI on track for more than 7% gain this week
• Biggest rise for Brent since Jan, strongest since June for WTI
• MidEast tensions price boost as Saudi coalition attacks Yemen
• Tropical Storm Imelda hits US energy infrastructure
• Brent up 56 cents at $64.96 a barrel (0212GMT)
• WTI up 66 cents at $58.79

Precious metals

• Gold edges higher on soft dollar, heads for first weekly gain in four
• Spot gold up 0.2% at $1,501.35/oz. (0142GMT)
• US gold futures up 0.2% at $1,509.2/oz.

Grains

• Corn futures set for second weekly gain on strong US exports
• Wheat futures down 0.5% at $4.85-3/4 per bushel (0109GMT)
• Corn futures down 0.3% at $3.71-3/4 per bushel
• Soy futures down 0.2% at $8.91-1/4 per bushel
• Rice futures down 0.2% at $12.34 per hundredweight

Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]

• Bank of Ghana MPC decision [fcst. 15.0%, prev. 16.0%]
• Central Bank of Nigeria MPC decision [fcst. 13.0%, prev. 13.5%]
• 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]

• Libya Coast Guard picks up nearly 500 migrants in region surrounding Tripoli
• Nigeria court orders firm that won $9 bln case against govt to forfeit assets
• Nigerian army says NGO aided terrorists, forces it to close office
• Moderate Islamist Ennahda backs Saied in Tunisia’s presidential run-off
• Sierra Leone toughens penalties for sexual violence
• At least 28 displaced people killed in northern Congo
• Morocco’s Attijariwafa Bank reports first-half profit up 4.9%
• EU wheat at 1-mth high as Morocco boosts French export outlook
• South Africa’s debt-ridden Cell C worthless, biggest shareholders say
• Egypt’s SODIC interested in Heliopolis Housing estate – CEO
• Algeria detains chief of former ruling party and opposition activist
• South African rand slips back as central bank holds key rate, stocks down
• Libya state oil firm rejects eastern parallel board for oil firm
• Tunisia’s ousted president Ben Ali dies in Saudi exile
• Africa Oil – Nigerian programmes start to appear
• Nigeria court orders firm that won $9 bln case against govt to forfeit assets
• South Africa hold key rate in unanimous decision
• Zimbabwe doctors march to parliament after court intervention
• Libya’s National Oil condemns attempt to divide its Brega unit
• Egypt tuk-tuk startup Halan to expand to Ethiopia
• Central African militia suspects, one a soccer boss, hear war crimes charges
• Deutsche Post’s DHL preparing sale of supply chain operations in Africa
• Zimbabwe court tells police to allow doctors’ march
• Uganda shilling holds steady due to even dollar demand
• South African retailer Mr Price warns of possible loss
• Kenya starts tightening its belt after debt binge criticism
• Algeria detains opposition activist in new sign of clampdown
• Kenya shilling holds firm as offshore flows soak up pressure
• Somalia GDP to grow 2.9% in 2019 vs 2.8% last year – IMF
• Nigeria becomes Africa’s staging ground for the illegal pangolin trade with Asia
• Kenya cuts 2019/20 financial year spending plans by 2.1%

N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters