By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Stocks tick up on upbeat China factory reports, trade talk hopes
- Investors cling to hopes of eventual compromise
- China private manufacturing PMI surprisingly strong
- Yen softens on stimulus, pound slips on opinion polls
Oil Markets
- Oil jumps on Chinese factory growth, hopes for deeper OPEC cuts
- Brent up 1.2% at $61.23 a barrel (0157GMT)
- WTI up 1.6% at $56.03
Precious metals
- Gold dips on upbeat dollar, positive China data
- Spot gold down 0.3% at $1,461.15/oz. (0059GMT)
- US gold futures down 0.4% at $1,467.30/oz.
Grains
- Soybeans rise for first time in 8 sessions
- Soybean futures up 0.5% at $8.81 a bushel (0221GMT)
- Corn futures up 0.2% at $3.82 a bushel
- Wheat futures little changed at $5.41-1/2 per bushel
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- African Economic Conference by AfDB, ECA & UNDP in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt; 2-4 Dec
- South Africa ABSA manufacturing PMI Nov-19 [prev. 48.1]
- South Africa SACCI business confidence Nov-19 [prev. 91.7]
Key African events or data releases over the weekend & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- At least 24 killed in Tunisia bus crash
- Cameroon seperatists fire on passenger jet in northwest
- South African Airways in talks over funding for shake-up
- Nigeria commits OPEC agreements before Vienna meeting
- Comoros seeks $4.6 blnin investment to climb out of poverty
- Incumbent Geingob wins Namibia presidential election with 56.3% of the vote
- Tunisians protest in southern town after man sets himself alight
- Ivorian president says he will stand in 2020 election if former leaders run again
- Gabon president’s spokesman detained in anti-corruption crackdown
- AfDB approves $210 mln loan for Nigeria’s power transmission project
- Nigerian central bank injects $323 mln, 18 mln yuan into currency market
- Nigeria’s Buhari seeks parliamentary nod on $23 bln in foreign loans
- South African Airways shunned by insurers as financial doubts grow
- Africa Oil – Sonangol nearly sells out spot cargoes, Nigerian sales East rise
- South African rand firms but remains range-bound, stocks fall
- Africa-focused lender Bayport explores $800 mln London listing – sources
- Algerian protesters keep up pressure on authorities as vote nears
- Fatal attacks on Congo clinics risks resurgence of ebola epidemic
- Sudan’s ex-ruling party condemns law dissolving it, to continue “reforms”
- Sudan’s former ruling party rejects law dissolving it
- South Africa’s Hollard excludes SAA from insolvency coverage
- South Africa’s Telkom says Cell C has rejected takeover offer
- PwC probe finds certain executives at South Africa’s Tongaat overstated profits, assets
- Fired Zimbabwe state doctors reject offer to return to work
- Nigeria gives UK court $200 mln guarantee for stay on asset seizures in P&ID case
- Kenyan shilling under pressure from end month importer demand
- Government should nationalise Kenya Airways quickly – CEO
- South Africa court rejects Zuma appeal to prevent corruption trial
- Kenya’s annual inflation rises to 5.56% in November
- Kenya Power, KenGen delay annual results on auditor-general appointment
- South Africa’s Karoo drills and prays as taps run dry
- Flight Centre, travel insurer drop South African Airways
- Kenya’s Safaricom starts digital post services in e-commerce push
- Kenya’s parliament approves an extra 78 bln shillings in spending
- French army helicopters crashed in Mali were not under IS fire – general
- Kenya Power annual results delayed on auditor-general appointment
- South Africa’s Telkom says Cell C has rejected takeover offer
- South Africa’s credit demand growth quickens to 7.28% y/y in Oct
- Sudan moves to dissolve ex ruling party, repeals public order law
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters