By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asian shares slide on trade disappointment, HK unrest
• Trump offers no new details on US-China trade pact
• Trade war has taken toll on major economies
• Commodities highlight concern about global demand

Oil Markets

• Oil dips as US-China trade deal hopes fade
• US crude stocks seen rising for 3^rd week – survey
• Oil demand growth to slow post-2025 – IEA
• Forecast points to increased fuel efficiency, Evs
• Brent down 0.3% at $61.90 a barrel (0124GMT)
• WTI down 0.3% at $56.65

Precious metals

• Gold hit by uncertainty over US-China trade deal, firmer dollar
• Spot gold flat at $1,457.91/oz. (0116GMT)
• US gold futures up 0.3% at $1,458/oz.

Grains

• Soybeans inch up on slow US harvest pace
• Soybean futures up 0.1% at $9.17-3/4 per bushel (0201GMT)
• Corn futures up 0.3% at $3.76-3/4 per bushel
• Wheat futures down 0.4% at $5.15 a bushel

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

• Ghana 2020 budget statement by finmin Ofori-Atta
• South Africa retail sales Sep-19 [fcst. 2.2% yy, prev. 1.1%]
• 11^th BRICS summit in Brasilia, Ramaphosa attending; 13-14 Nov
• International Conference on Population & Development (ICPD) in Nairobi; 12-14 Nov
• 2019 Africa investment forum by AfDB et al. in Johannesburg; 11-13 Nov

Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]

• Uganda protests police killing of 2 nationals in Rwanda
• Egypt seeks to parry rights criticism after mass arrests
• Kenya pledges to end FGM by 2022 – ahead of global target
• Eswatini next to suspend South African animal imports after foot and mouth outbreak
• Petrol stations on Nigeria’s borders close after fuel delivery ban
• Nigerian ‘unicorn’ Interswitch sells stake to Visa
• Africa Oil – Angolan cargoes dwindle, Nigerian strong
• South African state airline says it could cut more than 900 jobs
• South Africa’s state airliner SAA says job cuts could save firm $47 mln
• Morocco mandates banks for bond investor meetings – document
• South Africa’s AMCU mining union seals platinum wage deals
• Algeria’s Sonatrach renews Edison contract
• Rain halts oil shipments from Algeria’s Skikda – Ennahar
• Dubai’s DP World signs deal to develop business park in Namibia
• Algerian court jails 21 protesters
• Kenya’s Equity 9-mth pretax profit jumps on lending boost
• Kenya’s Silverstone Air suspends all flights
• Eni CEO doesn’t rule out interest in Dana Gas Egypt assets, but not a priority
• Egypt lifts LNG exports from Idku terminal to 1 bln cubic feet per day
• Cargo handled by Kenya’s Mombasa port up 9% Jan-Sept – port operator
• Egypt hires banks for triple-tranche dollar bond issue
• Egypt’s sovereign wealth fund to raise authorized capital to up to 1 tln pounds
• Ghana sells 200,000 tonnes of cocoa with farmer premium
• Zimbabweans get new banknotes, but angered by withdrawal limits
• Ghana has sold 200,000T of cocoa with LID for 2020/21 – Cocobod
• Kenya shilling steady, remittances to meet importer demand
• 2 die during heavy rains in South Africa
• South Africa’s Telkom in deal talks despite plunging profit
• Bill to nationalise South Africa’s central bank in parliament
• Mauritius appoints Renganaden Padayachy as its new finmin
• Kenya’s Equity Group Holdings 9-mth pre-tax profit up 11%
• South Africa’s Telkom reports 36% plunge in H1 profits54

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