By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica
Global Markets
- Asia shares stymied by Sino-US spat, euro stays buoyant
- Euro near highest since late 2018 as dollar sinks
- Asia shares retreat on Sino-US tensions
- Gold approaching record peak amid covid uncertainty
- Brent up 16 cents at $43.47, WTI up 9 cents at $41.16
Oil Markets
- Oil rises on weaker dollar, but virus woes & US-China tensions weigh
- Brent up 0.4% at $43.46 a barrel (0137GMT)
- WTI up 0.3% at $41.19
Precious metals
- Gold poised for best week in more than 3 months on stimulus bets
- Gold up more than 4% so far this week
- Spot gold up 0.1% at $1,889.24/oz. (0410GMT)
- US gold futures down 0.3% at $1,884.60/oz.
Grains
- Soybeans set for second weekly gain on Chinese demand
- Soybean futures up 0.3% at $9.02-3/4 a bushel (0249GMT)
- Soybeans up nearly 1% so far this week
- Corn down 0.8% for the week
- Wheat has lost 0.3%
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handles @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica]
- South Africa’s Malema addresses EFF 7th anniversary rally; 26 Jul
- Ghana central bank MPC meets; 22-27 Jul [fcst. 14.5%, prev. 14.5%]
- 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
- Prominent South Sudan critic says govt sent hit squad for him; Juba denies
- Tanzania’s former president Benjamin Mkapa dies, presidency says
- Sudan finds mass grave believed to have bodies of officers executed by Bashir
- West Africa leaders to hold extraordinary summit on Mali crisis
- South Africa public schools to close as coronavirus cases rise over 400,000
- Nigeria lawmakers recommend new board for Niger Delta body in corruption probe
- South Africa SAA rescue conditions met except state guarantee letter, administrators say
- French soldier killed in Mali combat operations – Elysee
- Kenya forest communities face eviction from ancestral lands – even during pandemic
- Egyptians crowd livestock market ahead of Eid holiday despite coronavirus
- South Africa 59% excess deaths imply hidden covid-19 toll
- Uganda reports its first death from novel coronavirus
- Zimbabwe politician denied bail in anti-govt protests case
- Solar keeps lights, phones on for rural Kenyans during pandemic blackouts
- Orange launches digital banking in Ivory Coast, eyes further expansion
- South Africa’s Impala Platinum expects 20% jump in annual earnings
- South Africa expands virus loan scheme, may stop lenders blacklisting borrowers
- South Africa’s Spur forecasts 40% fall in annual profit, hit by lockdowns
- South Africa – Investigations ongoing at Glencore’s Cape Town refinery after blast
- South Africa Sasol expects delay in last unit in US project to come onstream
- Family of slain Ethiopia singer mourns their “hero like a lion”
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
