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

Global Markets

• Asia stocks swing wildly on US-China trade deal mix-up
• MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-J up 0.7%
• China blue-chips recover, Hang Seng up 0.7%
• Australia shares up 0.1%, Nikkei up 0.8%

Oil Markets

• Oil prices steady amid signs of demand coming back after coronavirus
• Brent up 6 cents at $43.14 a barrel (0046GMT)
• WTI up 8 cents at $40.81

Precious metals

• Gold slips ahead of euro PMI data, second virus wave fears cap losses
• Spot gold down 0.2% at $1,750.75/oz. (0324GMT)
• US gold futures down 0.2% at $1,763.70/oz.

Grains

• Corn falls to near 1-wk low on upbeat USDA crop condition report
• Corn futures down 0.5% at $3.26-3/4 a bushel (0111GMT)
• Soybeans up 0.1% at $8.77-1/2 a bushel
• Wheat down 0.4% at $4.87-1/2 a bushel

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

• Malawi court-ordered presidential election rerun
• Nigeria’s Buhari & other WAMZ heads of state meet (virtual)
• South Africa publishes Q1-2020 labour statistics
• South Africa’s Zuma returns to court for corruption trial
• Kenya senate hears impeached Kirinyaga county governor Waiguru’s defense
• South Africa’s Ramaphosa opens inaugural sustainable infrastructure symposium
• Nigeria finance minister Ahmed speaks at NESG webinar
• South Africa SACCI business confidence May-20 [prev. 77.8]
• 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

• Malawi election re-run a test case for African democracy
• Liberia extends covid-19 state of emergency as cases rise ‘exponentially’
• South Africa’s City Lodge to raise 1.2 bln rand via rights issue
• South Africa’s Cell C plans to lay off 960 workers as it streamlines operations
• Coronavirus slowdown squeezes Ivory Coast cotton sector
• South Africa rand steadies as focus shifts to budget
• Suspected militant head arrested in Ivory Coast
• South Africa to oppose Airlink’s bid to halt SAA creditors meeting
• Namibia further relaxes coronavirus restrictions despite rising case
• South Africa’s Aspen says it has capacity to meet demand for dexamethasone
• Nigeria’s WTO candidate gets regional backing – document
• Nigeria doctors suspend strike over benefits to hold talks
• Turkey dismisses Egypt warning of Libya intervention
• Morocco used NSO’s spyware to snoop on journalist, Amnesty says
• Police, job-seeking protesters clash in Tunisia city of Tataouine
• South Africa Telkom axes dividends for 3 years after profit slide
• Ivory Coast says arrested head of commando unit of June 10 attack
• Minibus drivers in South Africa strike over coronavirus funding
• Mozambique offers $2.5 bln funding guarantee to LNG project, says report
• Morocco’s CPI drops to 0.2% y/y in May – planning agency
• ICC prosecutors cite grave errors in Ivory Coast’s Gbagbo acquittal at start of appeal
• Uganda shilling trades unchanged amid flat appetite
• South Africa’s Edcon creditors go to court to halt restructuring meeting
• South Africa’s Omnia Holdings in talks for sale of Oro Agri unit

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