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