By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asia stocks up slightly in cautious trade as focus shifts to US payrolls
- Markets nervous before non-farm payrolls
- US short-term treasury yields continue to fall
- Central banks struggling with response to trade friction
- Asia ex-Japan stocks headed for third weekly decline
Oil Markets
- Oil edges higher but on track for big weekly loss
- Brent up 0.1% at $57.79 a barrel (0138GMT)
- WTI up 0.2% at $52.57 a barrel
Precious metals
- Gold gains on soft US service sector data, focus on jobs report
- Spot gold up 0.2% at $1,508.12/oz. (0132GMT)
- US gold futures flat at $1,513.9/oz.
Grains
- Corn edges lower, set for biggest weekly gain in 4 mths
- Wheat futures down 0.1% at $4.88-1/4 per bushel (0005GMT)
- Corn futures down 0.2% at $3.88 per bushel
- Soy futures down about 0.1% at $9.11-1/4 per bushel
- Rice futures unchanged at $11.72 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Nigeria’s Buhari in South Africa for state visit; 2-4 Oct
- Nigeria Stanbic IBTC PMI Sep-19 [prev. 56.4]
- South Africa state capture inquiry continues
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today</strong
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Facebook says removed 211 accounts from UAE, Nigeria, Egypt and Indonesia
- Nigeria levies $1.3 bln charge on banks for failing to meet loan target
- Mali govt says death toll from double attack rises to 38
- Cameroon releases 333 prisoners amid peace talks, separatists say not enough
- Attacks kill 22 in Ethiopia’s Amhara region – party official
- Tanzania denies hiding information on suspected ebola cases
- Nearly 600 Burundian refugees head home as mass repatriation starts
- Nigerian police to get stun guns, new rules of engagement in push to reduce deaths
- South Africa’s rand firms as dollar, stocks fall
- Egypt discussing possible new IMF cooperation – cbank gov
- Egypt lowers gas price to $5.50-$6 per mln Btu for industry
- Gunmen kidnap 6 schoolgirls in Nigeria
- Africa Oil – Nigerian offers continue to slide
- Nigerian lawmakers increase 2020 budget outline based on higher oil price
- Egypt to appoint banks to handle share offer in United Bank
- Mauritius launches first phase of $525 mln light rail system
- Nigeria’s FCMB charged $46 mln for failing to meet loan requirement
- Nigeria releases 25 children cleared of suspected ties with Boko Haram – UNICEF
- Uganda detains supporters of presidential hopeful over banned red berets
- South Africa, Nigeria mend relations and agree trade deals
- Uganda shilling holds steady against the dollar
- 5 Eritrean football players disappear in Uganda – official
- South Africa debt-to-GDP could reach 95% by 2024, IIF says
- Kenya’s first green bond issue raises 4.3 billion shillings
- South African govt in talks with coal miners to cut prices for cash-strapped Eskom
- Kenya shilling holds steady against the dollar
- South Africa’s private sector contracts again in September – PMI
- Egypt’s non-oil business activity contracts again in Sept – PMI
- Zimbabwean women struggle to shake off sex-for-land corruption
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
