By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asian shares hit 18-mth top in festive cheer; oil, gold hold gains
- MSCI ex-Japan at highest since June 2018, up 16% this year
- Q4 earnings will come to focus in January
- MSCI world index, Dow, S&P 500 hit record closing highs Thursday
- Brent at 2-1/2 month peak, gold at 2-mth highs
Oil Markets
- Oil hits 3-mth highs as strong US consumer spending underpins growth hopes
- Brent up 0.2% at $68.05 a barrel (0150GMT)
- WTI up 0.2% at $61.81
Precious metals
- Gold eases as stocks gain; set for best weekly jump in over 4 mths
- Spot gold down 0.1% at $1,509.56/oz. (0136GMT)
- US gold futures unchanged at $1,514.40/oz.
Grains
- US soybeans rise on China purchase hopes
- Wheat futures up 0.4% at $5.51-1/4 a bushel (0215GMT)
- Soybean futures up 0.1% at $9.47 a bushel
- Corn futures down 0.1% at $3.88 a bushel
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Ghana’s Menzgold expected to pay longsuffering customers
- South Africa balance of trade Nov-19 [prev. ZAR3.09B]
- Nigeria manufacturing PMI Dec-19 [prev. 59.3]
- Nigeria non-manufacturing PMI Dec-19 [prev. 60.1]
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
- Turkey to send troops to Libya at Tripoli’s request – Erdogan
- Trump, Egypt’s Sisi agree on need to end Libya conflict – White House
- Morocco jails one man, detains another over criticism of authorities on social media
- Libya makes formal request for Turkish military support – official
- Ivory Coast says presidential candidate Soro plotted a coup
- Russia & Italy call for peaceful solution to Libya crisis
- Zambia plans to compel copper miners to account for gold
- Russia & Turkey extended talks on Syria/Libya in quest for compromise – Vedomosti
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
