By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Gold, oil jump in Asia as US & Iran trade threats
- Nikkei skids as Japan returns from holiday
- Oil supply jump on fears of supply disruptions; Brent > $70
- Safe-haven yen, bonds & gold all in demand
Oil Markets
- Oil extends gains on rising Mideast tensions
- Brent up 2.4% at $70.27 a barrel (0222GMT)
- WTI up 2.1% at $64.39
Precious metals
- Gold jumps to near 7-yr high as Mideast tensions spur safe-haven appetite
- Spot gold up 1.4% at $1,573.14/oz. (0124GMT)
- US gold futures up 1.6% at $1,577.80/oz.
Grains
- Soybeans inch higher on bargain hunting; US export pace caps gains
- Soybean futures up 0.1% at $9.42-1/4 a bushel (0222GMT)
- Corn futures up 0.1% at $3.87 a bushel
- Wheat futures down 0.2% at $5.53-1/2 a bushel
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- South Africa’s ruling ANC pre-Jan.8 statement media briefing
- Liberia anti-government protests
- Nigeria Stanbic IBTC PMI Dec-19 [prev. 57.7]
- South Africa Standard Bank PMI Dec-19 [prev. 48.6]
- South Africa ABSA manufacturing PMI Dec-19 [prev. 47.7]
- Ghana’s Constitution Day tomorrow; public holiday (7 Jan)
Key African events or data releases over the weekend & early a.m today
- 3 Americans killed in militant attack on base in Kenya
- Nigerian police on heightened alert after US killing of Iranian commander
- Turkish military units moving to Libya, Erdogan says
- South Africa’s Eskom to end power cuts late on Sunday
- Angola & Congo tell dos Santos to cooperate with justice after asset freeze
- Turkey, Libya may contract international firms to search for hydrocarbons in eastern Med
- Egypt’s net foreign reserves rise to $45.42 bln in December – c.bank
- At least 30 killed in Libya military academy attack
- Saudi Arabia condemns Turkish escalation in Libya – statement
- South Africa’s Eskom resumes power cuts after Medupi fault
- 14 killed in bomb attack on bus convoy in Burkina Faso
- Kenya says starts spraying of locusts seen as threat to food security
- Egypt reopens 2 Mediterranean ports which were shut due to bad weather
- Egypt arrests tax authority chief on charges of receiving bribes
- Flights suspended in Libya’s capital as violence intensifies
- Violence in Sudan’s West Darfur left 65 dead, peacekeepers say
- Africa Oil – Scarce buyer interest as Angolan cargoes linger
- Losing Guinea-Bissau presidential candidate contests results in court
- Somali govt detains record number of journalists
- Egypt appeals against escalation in Iraq following US strike – statement
- Ugandan shilling weakens as banks exert demand
- Flights suspended in Libya’s capital due to rocket fire – official
- South Africa’s rand slips to 2-wk low as Middle East tensions sour risk demand
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
