By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• China joins Asian shares in cautious advance ahead of trade talks
• Investors nervous ahead of US-China trade talks
• China shares, yuan up a tad after week-long holiday
• Turkish lira drops to 1-mth low on tension over Syria

Oil Markets

• Oil rises, buoyed by gains in industrial commodities
• Death toll mounts in Iraq after a week of unrest
• Ecuador may cut output by 59,450 bpd on protests – ministry
• US crude stockpiles may rise for 4^th week – poll
• Brent up 0.7% at $58.74 a barrel (0102GMT)
• WTI up 0.7% at $53.10

Precious metals

• Gold dips as dollar holds strong ahead of Sino-US trade talks
• Gold set for third straight decline
• Spot gold down 0.2% at $1,491.05/oz. (0444GMT)
• US gold futures down 0.5% at $1,496.40/oz.

Grains

• Corn extends gains into second session on USDA harvest report
• Wheat futures up 0.1% at $4.89-3/4 per bushel (0023GMT)
• Corn futures up 0.3% at $3.88-1/4 per bushel
• Soy futures up 0.2% at $9.16-1/4 per bushel
• Rice futures down 0.1% at $11.63 per hundredweight

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

• Nigeria’s Buhari to deliver 2020 budget speech
• 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]

• Mali sees cotton output at 1 mln T, urges action on subsidies
• Ivory Coast creditors of SAC-Cacao praise clean-up by buyer SACC
• South African rand weakens as focus shifts to China-US trade talks
• South Africa’s Tongaat postpones full-year results, mulls measures to cut debt
• Africa Oil – Buyers wary as high freight rates weigh
• South Africa’s Impala to buy North American Palladium for about $750 mln
• Rwanda launches first ‘Made in Africa’ smartphones
• South Africa – “Everything was cool”: Zuma son denies wrongdoing at graft inquiry
• South Africa’s Tongaat mulls sale of assets, rights issue
• Uganda Airlines receives two Bombardier passenger planes
• Zimbabwe economy seen contracting up to 6% in 2019 – treasury document
• Zimbabwe doctors defy govt ultimatum to end strike
• Egypt studies plan to cut stock exchange fees
• Ivory Coast cocoa arrivals rise to 35,000 T by Oct. 6 – exporters
• Egypt stocks gain on talks for IMF assistance
• Mali says cotton output to reach 1 mln tonnes, eyes new varieties
• Uganda central bank cuts main lending rate to 9.0%
• Uganda shilling a touch weaker after central bank cuts key rate
• Tunisia election gives few clues to shape of next govt
• Kenya struggles to cope with growing number of heroin users
• South Africa’s net foreign reserves fall to $44.058 bln in September
• OPEC’s Barkindo says too early to discuss deeper output cuts – TASS
• Australia’s Fortescue confirms bid to develop Guinea iron ore
• Rwanda kills 19 assailants after deadly national park attack

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