By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asian stocks ride Wall St momentum to 8-mth peak, pound slips
• Trade deal sends stocks higher, but details awaited
• Asia ex-Japan index at highest since April
• Nikke hits highest since Oct. 2018
• Pound slips as hard Brexit fears re-emerge

Oil Markets

• Oil hovers near 3-mth high on trade optimism, supply cuts
• JP Morgan & Goldman revise oil price forecasts upwards
• US crude stocks likely dipped last week – Reuters poll
• Brent down 3 cents at $65.31 a barrel (0122GMT)
• WTI down 4 cents to $60.17

Precious metals

• Gold on hold as Sino-US trade uncertainty persists
• Spot gold trading at $1,475.74/oz. (0044GMT)
• US gold futures flat at $1,480.20/oz.

Grains

• Soybeans extend gains, hit over 1-mth high on US-China trade deal
• Soybean futures up 0.3% at $9.24-1/2 a bushel (0156GMT)
• Corn futures unchanged at $3.88 a bushel
• Wheat futures down 0.2% at $5.48-1/2 a bushel

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

• Ghana district assembly & unit committee elections
• Nigeria’s Buhari to sign 2020 budget; on his birthday
• Nigeria inflation Nov-19 [fcst. 11.9% yy, prev. 11.6%]
• Kenya’s Kenyatta to launch Naivasha dry port

Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today

• IMF approves $368 mln loan to Congo to meet ‘urgent’ balance of payment needs
• Tesla, Apple among firms accused of aiding child labour in Congo
• Zambia approves cannabis exports to boost economy
• Libya’s Al-Ghani oilfield production capacity will reach 8,000 bpd – NOC
• France, Sahel G5 leaders to meet in Pau on Jan. 13 – Elysee
• US hits South Sudanese officials with sanctions
• Africa Oil – New Angolan loading programme awaited
• France’s Total buys stakes in 2 Angola offshore oil blocks
• Zimbabwe vice president’s wife charged with his attempted murder
• India says 20 crew kidnapped from tanker off West Africa
• South Africa to push UAE on failure to ratify extradition treaty
• Madagascar mining chamber criticises plan to raise minerals taxes
• Kenya Airways names new acting CEO from Jan. 1
• Kenyan shilling firm on diaspora remittances

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