By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica
Global Markets
- Asia rides Wall St surge as investors place hopes on US stimulus
- MSCI ACWI builds on biggest gains since 2008 financial crisis
- Gold retain gains after big jump
- Dollar slides as funding squeeze eases a little
Oil Markets
- Oil ekes out gains as US stimulus hopes lift global markets
- Brent up 1.8% at $27.64 a barrel (0043GMT)
- WTI up 2.5% at $24.61
Precious metals
- Gold gains slightly as US stimulus hopes offset cash rush
- Spot gold up 0.1% at $1,611.73/oz. (0230GMT)
- US gold futures up 0.8% at $1,673.60/oz.
Grains
- Corn climbs over 1% on expectations of stronger ethanol demand
- Corn futures up 1.2% at $3.52 a bushel (0120GMT)
- Soybean futures up 0.5% at $8.92 a bushel
- Wheat futures down 0.2% at $5.60-1/4 a bushel
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handles @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica]
- Inter-ministerial briefing on South Africa 21-day lockdown; day 2
- Reported covid-19 infections of senior Nigeria officials may force official briefing
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
- Madagascar’s central bank injects cash to support economy due to virus
- IMF sees Malawi medium-term economic growth rising to as much as 7%
- Algeria jails opposition figure Karim Tabbou for year – activists
- Namibia announces travel ban, partial lockdown after seventh coronavirus case
- South Africa stocks, mining firms bounce on stimulus measures
- Africa Oil – Overhang shows little sign of falling as major buyers cut runs
- Hit by war and oil blockade, Libya prepares for pandemic
- Top Nigeria president aide, state governor test positive for coronavirus
- Sasol to bid to supply South Africa’s Eskom with temporary power
- Some 70 Nigeria soldiers killed in northeast militant ambush – sources
- Algeria energy export revenue falls 25% in January
- Congo’s central bank cuts interest rate in response to coronavirus
- Germany says 6 million coronavirus face masks missing in Kenya
- Kenya to seek IMF help, pay arrears and speed tax refunds
- As social distancing meets Congo, some say “it just won’t work”
- Egypt declares 2-wk curfew to counter coronavirus
- Nigeria’s central bank holds benchmark lending rate at 13.5%
- South Africa braces for lockdown as coronavirus cases spike to 554
- Egypt to extend suspension of flights for 2 weeks from April 1 – minister
- Germany loses 6 million coronavirus face masks in Kenya
- Africa jazz legend Manu Dibango dies from coronavirus in France
- Uganda central bank sells dollars to slow shilling’s depreciation
- Kenya shilling weakening caused by ‘malicious actors’ – central banker
- South Africa’s rand rises on Fed support even as lockdown looms
- Kenya central bank to triple repo tenure to boost bank liquidity
- South Africa’s foreign direct investment dips in 2019
- Cameroon saxophone player Manu Dibango dies from coronavirus
- Kenya shilling inches down against dollar, spreads widen
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters