By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica

Global Markets

• Asian shares tick up, aim for 2^nd week of gains amid virus scare
• Ex-Japan Asian shares up 0.3%, Nikkei loses 0.5%
• Hopes of govt stimulus support shares
• Dollar hits 4-mth high as investors flee to US assets
• Euro hits 3-yr low ahead of euro zone GDP

Oil Markets

• Oil prices steady but set for weekly gain on supply cut optimism
• Brent down 9 cents at $56.25 a barrel (0234GMT)
• WTI down 1 cent at $51.41

Precious metals

• Gold eases as equities edge up, virus concerns cap losses
• Gold set to gain 0.3% for the week
• Spot gold down 0.1% at $1,574.69/oz. (0427GMT)
• US gold futures down 0.1% at $1,577.80/oz.

Grains

• Soybeans on course for biggest weekly gain in nearly 2 mths
• Soybean futures up 1.5% for the week
• Corn futures down 1% so far this week
• Wheat futures down 2.5% for the week

Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handles @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica]

• US Secretary of State Pompeo visits Senegal; 15-16 Feb
• Ethiopia’s Abiy visits UAE
• EFF’s Malema addresses Press Club of South Africa
• Guinea’s Conde in Saudi Arabia; parliamentary elections on 16 Feb
• 18^th African fine coffees conference & exhibition in Mombasa, Kenya; 12-14 Feb

Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today

• Woodside holds on to stake in Senegal oil field as FAR challenge fails
• Nigeria’s military razed villages in war on insurgents – Amnesty International
• ‘Ghost’ ancestors: African DNA study detects mysterious human species
• IMF, World Bank move pushes Somalia closer to debt forgiveness
• South Africa must fix its public finances, Ramaphosa says
• South Africa plans summit to finalise continental free trade agreement
• South Africa’s Ramaphosa says restructured SAA should not be dependent on bailouts
• South Africa says will establish sovereign wealth fund
• South Africa to procure additional renewable energy to ease shortages – Ramaphosa
• South Africa’s Ramaphosa says economic recovery has stalled due to power shortages
• Africa Oil – Sonangol sells last spot cargo
• Mali troops return to key northern city after 6-yr absence
• Nigeria grants FX access for milk imports to 6 mostly foreign firms
• Nigeria’s oil output could fall 35% without reforms – Wood Mackenzie
• Libya reopens Tripoli’s Mitiga airport after hours of closure
• South African rand slides, stocks dip ahead of Ramaphosa speech
• Nigeria offers longer-term naira contracts to lure investors, shore up FX
• Mozambique’s economy grew 2.03% in Q4 – statistics office
• Sudan inflation jumps to 64.3% in January
• In further bid to silence media, Somalia harassing journalists online – Amnesty
• South African state airline SA Express under bankruptcy protection
• Egypty approves first gold mining licence in more than a decade
• Ethiopia passes law imposing jail terms for internet posts that stir unrest
• Nigeria central bank offers 5-yr naira futures contract for first time
• Africa FX – Kenyan shilling to weaken, Uganda’s to be stable
• South Africa’s Eskom to spend up to $27 mln on severance packages
• Thousands of Cameroonians flee to Nigeria as violence flares
• South African airline Comair expects first half loss due to MAX grounding
• Sudan agrees to compensate families of USS cole victims – state news agency
• Uganda’s benchmark lending rate on hold at 9.0% for a second time
• Blast shuts oil pipeline feeding Nigeria’s Brass oil exports – officials
• Nigeria’s Green Africa Airways signs initial agreement for 50 Airbus A220-300s
• Mali architect fights climate change with digital greenhouse
• Libya’s NOC oil output at 191,475 bpd as of Feb. 12
• South Africa’s Tongaat in talks to sell starch business

N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters