By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica
Global Markets
- Asian stocks falter as global growth fears temper tech boost
- MSCI Asia ex-Japan -0.22%; Nikkei -1.87%
- China, Japan post positive manufacturing data
- Brent up 0.5% at $43.17, WTI up 0.3% at $40.04
- Spot gld up 0.5% at $1,968.84/oz.
Oil Markets
- Oil rises further from 3-wk lows, but headwinds loom amid pandemic
- Brent up 0.3% at $43.08 a barrel (0358GMT)
- WTI up 0.5% at $40.13
Precious metals
- Gold set for best month in nearly 4-1/2 years as weak US data dents dollar
- Silver on track for best month on record
- Spot gold up 0.4% at $1,967.53/oz. (0458GMT)
- US gold futures up 1% at $1,961.30/oz.
Grains
- Corn set for monthly loss as US weather boosts crop outlook
- Corn has lost 4% in July
- Soybeans up more than 1% this month
- Wheat has risen 8% in July
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handles @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica]
- Eid holiday
- Anti-government protests in Zimbabwe; after arrest of journalists, crackdown
- Botswana reinstates 2-week Covid-19 lockdown in Gaborone
- South Africa’s Ramaphosa addresses summit on science & innovation response to Covid-19
- Kenya resumes international flights (1 Aug)
- South Africa trade balance Jun-20 [prev. ZAR15.94B]
- South Africa state capture inquiry continues
- 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
- Out of hospital, Saudi King tweets Eid greetings
- Botswana reinstates coronavirus lockdown in capital for two weeks
- IMF approves $171.9 mln to Madagascar to address Covid-19 pandemic
- Saudi King Salman leaves hospital – state news agency
- Kenya Unilever tea workers escalate fight for reparations to UN
- Zimbabwe govt minister died from Covid-19
- Diamond giant De Beers likely to cut jobs after Covid-19 hit
- Botswana says natural toxin could be behind elephant deaths
- Zimbabwe security forces clear streets ahead of planned protests
- South Africa probes medical suppliers over Covid-19 tender allegations
- AngloGold Ashanti CEO Dushnisky steps down after two years in the role
- Ivory Coast defence minister Bakayoko named prime minister
- Libya to impose full lockdown as pandemic cases grow
- South Africa insurers’ offer in Covid claims fight too little too late for some
- South Africa’s Steinhoff’s first-half loss more than doubles to $1.7 bln
- Tunisia’s parliament speaker narrowly survives confidence vote
- Nigeria expects to comply with 1.412 mln bpd output quota – oil minister
- Kenya central bank has ‘plenty of firepower’, governor says
- UN warns that 60% of Zimbabweans threatened by hunger
- Starved of dollars, Nigeria businesses struggle for survival
- Mali cleric says crisis can be resolved without president resigning
- ArcelorMittal South Africa falls deeper into half-year loss as steel demand falls
- Shell writes down Nigeria licence at heart of Italian bribery trial
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters