By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica
Global Markets
- Asian shares drop, commodities sink on virus fears after Lunar New Year break
- Australian, NZ shares fall; oil slides, gold firm
- Coronavirus death toll in China rises to 361
- China c.bank injects $174 bln of liquidity on Monday
- Economies lower growth forecasts for Chinese economy
Oil Markets
- Oil extends decline as virus hits China demand
- Brent down 48 cents at $56.14 a barrel (0241GMT)
- WTI down 24 cents at $51.32
Precious metals
- Gold falls from 4-wk high on China liquidity measures, stronger dollar
- Spot gold down 0.4% at $1,582.82/oz. (0145GMT)
- US gold futures up 0.1% at $1,588.80/oz.
Grains
- Soybeans edge higher after hitting 2-mth low amid virus scare
- Soybean futures up 0.2% at $8.74-1/2 a bushel (0207GMT)
- Corn futures down 0.3% at $3.80-1/4 a bushel
- Wheat futures down 0.9% at $5.48-3/4 a bushel
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handles @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica]
- 5th Nigeria – US binational commission in Washington DC; 3-4 Feb
- Investing in African mining indaba in Cape Town; 3-6 Feb
- Kenya’s Kenyatta heads to Washington DC for trade talks
- South Africa ABSA manufacturing PMI Jan-20 [prev. 47.1]
- Malawi’s consititutional court to rule on presidential election petition
- Uganda’s Museveni, Rwanda’s Kagame, DRC’s Tshisekedi meet Angola’s Lourenco in Luanda (2 Feb)
Key African events or data releases over the weekend & early a.m today
- Foreign ministers to meet on Libya in mid-March – Germany’s Maas
- Regulator slaps $375 mln antitrust fine on Maroc Telecom – reports
- Head of Sudan’s sovereign council invited to visit Washington
- UAE allocates $2 bln to Mauritania projects – state news agency WAM
- At least 20 people killed in stampede at church service in Tanzania
- French defence ministry to send 600 more troops to Africa’s Sahel
- Eritrea blasts US visa ban, Nigeria creates committee to address issues
- Militants kill dozens in east Congo as attacks on civilians intensify
- Kidnapping of students sparks anti-govt protests in Ethiopia
- Tanzania says has not been officially notified about US travel ban
- Egypt sentences officer-turned-militant and 36 others to death
- Oil majors request more Mozambique troops after [militant] attacks – sources
- Tunisian banks lend govt about $500 mln
- Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan say final agreement on Blue Nile dam ready by next month
- Egypt detains doctor, parents as girl dies after genital cutting
- South African logistics group Transnet appoints ex-govt official as CEO
- Med crude – Urals differentials surge supported by Libyan oil outage
- Maltreated tigers and lions, rescued from Guatemala circuses, arrive in South Africa
- Africa Oil – Bonny Light force majeure lifted, Angolan diffs tumble
- ‘Regulate-Us-Not Kill Us”: Lagos motorcycle taxi drivers march against ban
- Ugandan medics deploy AI to stop women dying after childbirth
- African youth activists warn of ‘great danger’ from climate chaos
- South Africa’s rand tumbles to 11-wk low as coronavirus, power cuts weigh
- Court orders safeguards for Kenyan digitial IDs, bans DNA collecting
- Egypt’s population nears 100 mln, putting pressure on resources and jobs
- Shell Nigerian unit lifts force majeure on Bonny Light crude exports
- Tunisian PM-designate vows to cut subsidies
- Chief of South Africa’s Eskom appointing boards for planned breakup
- Kenyan firm sells gas to low income families, replacing dirty fuels
- Kenya says to start free trade talks with US next week
- Kenya’s inflation at 5.78% y/y in January
- Nigerian court issues warrant for [former] oil minister Etete’s in $1.3 bln oil deal
- East African airlines suspend China flights due to coronavirus
- South Africa’s Eskom seeks to drive harder bargain on funding costs – CEO
- In Senegal, online videos break silence over domestic abuse
- Kenyan shilling firms against the dollar
- South Africa’s Eskom CEO appoints board for planned division into 3 units
- Africa-focused Tullow’s largest investor raises stake again
- “Me Too” Nigeria style: women opt for martial arts over marches
- South Africa’s rand marks time as China virus, power cuts weigh
- RwandAir suspends flights to China amid the coronavirus outbreak
- South Africa’s Tongaat posts smaller interim loss
- South Africa’s Sasol sees lower H1 earnings after Lake Charles unit fire
- Kenya Airways suspends all flights to China amid coronavirus outbreak
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters