By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica
Global Markets
- Asian shares stumble ahead of EU summit, US stimulus talks
- Concerns over rising coronavirus cases globally
- Eyes on fiscal support package talks in EU, US
- MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan shares down 0.2%
- S&P 500 E-mini futures down 0.4%
- Australia, South Korean & HK shares down as well
- Brent down 25 cents at $42.89, WTI down 24 cents at $40.35
- Spot gold down 0.1% at $1,807.55/oz.
Oil Markets
- Oil eases amid rising coronavirus cases worldwide
- Brent down 0.6% at $42.89 a barrel (0353GMT)
- WTI down 0.5% at $40.37
Precious metals
- Gold eases on firmer dollar; virus fears limit losses
- Spot gold down 0.1% at $1,807.55/oz. (0242GMT)
- US gold futures down 0.1% at $1,808.30/oz.
Grains
- Soybeans rise for 5th session on strong demand, corn eases
- Corn falls on concerns over energy demand amid coronavirus
- Soybean futures up 0.4% at $8.98-3/4 a bushel (0253GMT)
- Corn down 0.3% at $3.38-3/4 a bushel
- Wheat down 0.2% at $5.33-3/4 a bushel
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handles @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica]
- Central Bank of Nigeria decides interest rates [fcst. 12.5%, prev. 12.5%]
- South Africa state capture inquiry resumes
- Key African countries on lockdown or restricted; subdued economic activity
- Covid-19 updates by authorities across the continent
Key African events or data releases over the weekend & early a.m today
- Saudi King Salman, 84, admitted to hospital
- Pact to aid poor cocoa farmers in peril as covid-19 hits demand
- Mali opposition rejects ECOWAS proposals on ending political crisis
- Nigeria foreign minister Onyeama tests positive for coronavirus
- Four killed in Sierra Leone protest after police and army open fire
- Burundi arrests local administrators for robbing residents
- France, Germany, Italy threaten sanctions over arms for Libya
- Libya GNA fighters head for front as battle for Sirte looms
- G20 finance officials call for full, transparent debt freeze participation
- Sudan army launches legal action against ‘insulting’ activists
- IMF exploring additional tools to provide aid to pandemic-hit countries
- Egypt reports lowest daily coronavirus figure since late May
- Congo replaces sanctioned army chief with deputy also sanctioned for rights abuses
- US opens probe of phospate fertilizer imports from Morocco, Russia
- Total signs $14.9 bln debt financing for huge Mozambique LNG project
- South Africa farmers rap repeal of state of disaster for drought
- Libya’s NOC “deeply concerned” at using its institutions as “war posts”
- South Africa banks to allow their law firms to act for customers against them
- Public debt, populism and arrests as Tunisia faces crisis
- Turkey’s Erdogan says Egypt’s actions in Libya are illegal
- Mali PM apologises for security force ‘excesses’ during protests
- Deaths in South Africa mines fall to 51, lowest in a century, says Minerals Council
- Coronavirus fan flames of love in Nigeria’s online dating scene
- Ethiopia maids ‘dumped’ in the streets in Lebanon as covid hits
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
