By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica
Global Markets
- Asian stocks set to rise on optimism of post-lockdown recovery, stimulus
- Hang Seng up 0.16%
- S&P/ASX up 0.85%, Nikkei down 0.15%
- DJIA closed up 1.62%, S&P 500 up 1.15%
Oil Markets
- Oil mixed as coronavirus risks offset hopes that crude stockpiles will shrink
- Brent up 1 cent at $31.13 a barrel (0115GMT)
- WTI down 13 cents at $27.43
Precious metals
- Gold rises on stimulus optimism, renewed US-China tensions
- Spot gold up 0.1% at $1,730.56/oz. (0142GMT)
- US gold futures up 0.1% at $1,742.30/oz.
Grains
- Soybeans set to see biggest weekly slide in a month
- Soybean futures up 0.2% at $8.38-1/2 a bushel (0106GMT)
- Soybeans down nearly 1.5% for the week
- Corn down 0.5% for the week
- Wheat down nearly 4% for the week
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handles @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica]
- Bank of Ghana decides on interest rates [fcst. 14.0%, prev. 14.5%]
- South Africa’s Ramaphosa chairs consultation meeting on potential easing to covid-19 alert level 3
- South Africa’s opposition DA files court papers to challenge lockdown
- South Africa’s Mabuza chairs virtual Eskom task team meeting
- Key African countries on lockdown or restricted; subdued economic activity
- Covid-19 updates by authorities across the continent
Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
- Mozambique govt kill 50 insurgents in recent days – minister
- Sudan plans cash transfer to poor after removal of fuel subsidies
- Zimbabwe to circulate higher bank notes as inflation soars
- Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc mulls state loan guarantees to withstand coronavirus losses – CEO
- Hundreds of child weddings thwarted in Ethiopia as coronavirus locks girls out of schools
- Debt relief for poorest countries will not penalise MDB’s ‘preferred creditor’ status – Moody’s
- Zimbabwe opposition says activists missing, police deny holding them
- Walk-through sanitising booth sprays South Africa commuters
- South Africa to assign coronavirus restrictions by district
- South Africa rand weaker as global economic worries weigh
- South Africa food aid draws thousands for second time in 2 weeks
- First war, now covid-19 threatens South Sudanese in crowded camp
- South Sudan says records its first coronavirus death – statement
- Sasol aims to procure 600MW of renewable energy to cut emission at South Africa operations
- Egypt central bank keeps interest rates steady
- Facebook, telcos plan subsea cable to connect Africa, Middle East and Europe
- Burundi expels WHO team as it prepares for presidential election
- Egypt unemployment falls in 1st quarter – agency
- Nigeria naira to weaken, Kenya shilling seen steady; in week ahead
- Uganda plans to open power transmission to private investment – regulator
- South Africa MTN sticks to medium term forecast as earnings rise
- Congo citizens bring civil action in Belgium against passport maker
- Kenya shilling inches down against the dollar
- Sierra Leone mining revenue sinks as pandemic hits production and prices
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
