By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asia stocks digest meaty gains, sterling starved for love
- MSCI Asia ex-Japan up slightly; up 1.2% week so far
- Nikkei up 0.1%, up 2.5% month thus far
- £ huddled at $1.3017, down from $1.3514 Boris win peak
Oil Markets
- Oil prices hold near 3-mth highs on US-China trade deal progress
- Brent, WTI hover near highest levels since mid-Sept
- Brent up 2 cents at $66.56 a barrel (0145GMT)
- WTI down 9 cents at $61.09
Precious metals
- Gold inches lower on trade optimism; all eyes on US GDP data
- Spot gold down 0.1% at $1,478/oz. (0135GMT)
- US gold futures down 0.2% at $1,482/oz.
Grains
- Soybeans firm, set to gain 2% for the week
- Soybean futures up 0.2% at $9.26 a bushel
- Corn futures up 1.5% for the week
- Wheat futures up 2.5% for the week
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- France’s Macron visits Ivory Coast, Niger; 20-22 Dec
- 17th annual Rwanda national dialogue (“Umushyikirano”); 19-20 Dec
- ECOWAS heads of state meet on single currency, etc. in Abuja; 21 Dec
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
- Sudanese celebrate uprising anniversay, demand justice for victims
- Africa Oil – Nigerian OSPs raised, programmes begin to emerge
- AngloGold aims to produce 350,000 – 400,000 oz of gold a year from Ghana
- South Africa’s rand firms, stocks pause 3-day winning streak
- Libya’s internationally recognized govt ratifies security deal with Turkey
- Libya’s GNA activates security MoU agreed with Turkey – statement
- Algeria names Sabri Boukadoum interim PM – state TV
- South Africa’s Boris the BabyBot opens children’s eyes to digital privacy
- South Africa arrests 2 former Eskom managers for alleged $50 mln fraud
- Russia’s Putin seeks end to Libya conflict and talks between two sides
- Algeria swears in new president, protest movement debates response
- Kenya shilling, Zambian kwacha seen strengthening; in week ahead
- Japan’s Toyota Tsusho wins contract to build Egyptian vehicle terminal
- IMF approves lending program with Equatorial Guinea
- Kenyan shilling strengthens to 8-mth high
- Ethiopia to get $140 mln in loans from Saudi Arabia
- Uganda shilling little-changed amid thin importer demand
- Zambia suspends 15% export duty on gemstones – minister
- South Africa’s rand nearly unchanged after Fitch’s ratings decision
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
