By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asian shares waver, Hong Kong tensions spoil festive mood after upbeat US data
• Hong Kong law dents optimistic mood
• Australian shares briefly touch record high, then retreat
• Currencies in risk-off mode
• US markets closed for holiday

Oil Markets

• Oil drops as US inventory build, record output rekindles supply worries
• Brent down 0.3% at $63.90 a barrel (0141GMT)
• WTI down 0.4% at $57.90

Precious metals

• Gold gains as US bill backing HK protesters fuels trade deal doubts
• Spot gold up 0.2% at $1,457.60/oz. (0132GMT)
• US gold futures up 0.2% at $1,456.30/oz.

Grains (27 Nov)

• Soybeans steady as traders weigh chances for US-China trade deal
• Hopes of US-China trade deal lend some support to soybeans
• Corn, wheat slip in run-up to Thanksgiving closure
• South American crop weather looks favourable – analysts
• Soybean futures down 0.1% at $8.83-1/2 a bushel (1740GMT)
• Corn futures down 0.8% at $3.75-1/4 a bushel
• Wheat down 0.5% at $5.28-1/2 a bushel

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

• South Africa producer inflation Oct-19 [fcst. 2.9% yy, prev. 4.1%]
• African continental peace summit in Niamey
• Namibia general election results expected

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

• Nigeria meets with West African neighbours on border closure
• Eastern Libyan forces regain control of El Feel oilfield – LNA
• Nigeria meets with West African neighbours on border closure
• 2 Guinea-Bissau ex-premiers through to presidential runoff
• New sex offenders register may deter Nigerians with ‘no conscience’
• Billion-dollar LNG project in southern Mozambique expected in 2020
• South African govt working to ensure SAA’s survival
• Africa Oil – More Nigerian progs emerge, new tender issued
• Egypt sentences top militant suspect Ashmawy to death
• South Africa’s rand firms on risk-on mood, stocks inch up
• As France mourns 13 soldiers, top general says full victory in Africa impossible
• French defence minister heads to Mali to honour troops killed in helicopter crash
• Appeals judges uphold sentence for Congolese ex-vice president Bemba
• Fastjet looks to sell Zimbabwe business in effort to survive till 2021
• Kenyan govt says approves set price for household heating tariffs
• Kenyan shilling weakens on increased importer demand
• Namibians vote in tight contest clouded by economic crisis
• South Africa business confidence improves after 2 years –survey
• Former Guinea-Bissau PM’s through to run-off in presidential vote
• In rain-short Niger, wasps deployed in war on crop-munching worm
• Namibia arrests former justice minister in fishing scandal
• Uganda shilling unchanged as banks and importers trim appetite
• Egypt’s Rameda Pharmaceutical to float 49% stake on EGX
• Botswana’s GDP to slow to 3.5% in 2019 – IMF
• South Africa’s Woolworths posts 2.2% rise in 20-week sales
• Shrinking lake in Mali spells end of line for family of fishermen
• France to start probing black boxes from fatal Mali helicopter crash
• Kenya parliament body cuts finance ministry’s request for extra spending

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