By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asian shares pause after 5-day rally, Brexit in focus
• US retail sales fall for first time in 7 months
• Upbeat US earnings cushion blow from data
• Sterling volatile as Brexit talks continue

Oil Markets

• Oil prices fall as data points to huge build in US stocks
• US crude stocks rose 10.5 mln bbls in week in Oct. 11 – API
• Analysts had estimated increase would be 2.8 mln bbls
• Brent down 0.7% at $59.02 a barrel (0110GMT)
• WTI down 0.9% at $52.90

Precious metals

• Gold steady as disappointing US retail sales weigh on risk appetite
• Spot gold up 0.1% at $1,490.37/oz. (0044GMT)
• US gold futures up 0.1% at $1,495.60/oz.

Grains

• Soybeans firm after 2 days of falls, eyes on US-China
• Wheat futures up 0.4% at $5.15-1/2 per bushel (0102GMT)
• Corn futures up 0.1% at $3.92 per bushel
• Soy futures up 0.1% at $9.28-3/4 per bushel
• Rice futures unchanged at $11.98 per hundredweight

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

• Preliminary results of Mozambique elections expected
• World Bank/IMF meetings in Washington D.C.; 15-10 Oct. [Link to schedule: https://meetings.imf.org/en/2019/Annual/Schedule]
• South Africa’s Eskom rotational loadshedding; day 2
• By-elections in some Kenya county assembly wards
• South Africa’s Ramaphosa in KZN to launch district development model & projects
• 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]

• Libyan govt raises commercial price for kerosene as first step in reforms
• Guinea govt confirms 9 people killed in political protests this week
• Sudan – Key rebel group halts direct peace talks with Khartoum
• Morocco king pardons journalist in abortion case
• Nigeria govt can’t recover $62 bln sought from oil majors – minister
• Police free hundreds of males, some chained and beaten, from Nigerian school in third raid this month
• South Africa’s rand rattled by power cuts, stocks led higher by Sibanye
• Africa Oil – Angolan exports set to rise, freight pain eases
• Kenya opens $1.5 bln Chinese-built railway linking Rift Valley town and Nairobi
• World Bank court orders Tanzania pay $185 mln to Standard Chartered
• South Africa’s latest power cuts highlight Eskom challenge
• South Africa’s retail sales up 1.1% y/y in August
• Zimbabwe bread price jumps 60%, but shortages persist
• National Express to double Morocco presence with Casablanca bust contract
• South Africa’s Eskom says power cuts likely on Wednesday

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