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]

• 5^th 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