By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica
Global Markets
- Asia stocks grind higher, dollar slips as US data brightens mood
- US inflation beat expecations, virus looks to be stalling
- Nikkei surges to 6-mth top
- USD back under pressure; gold bounces
- Brent down 0.3% at $45.28, WTI at $42.54
Oil Markets
- Oil edges lower after jump on US stocks draw
- Brent down 8 cents at $45.35 a barrel (0150GMT)
- WTI down 6 cents at $42.61
Precious metals
- Gold rises 1% as weaker dollar bolsters appeal
- Spot gold up 1% at $1,936.99/oz. (0314GMT)
- US gold futures down 0.1% at $1,947.60/oz.
Grains
- Corn jumps 1% to hit over 2-wk high on USDA report
- Corn futures up 1.3% at $3.31-1/2 a bushel
- Soybeans up 0.5% at $8.87 a bushel
- Wheat little changed at $4.91-1/2 a bushel
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handles @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica]
- Ivory Coast rallies for & against Quattara 3rd term bid
- Egypt counts votes of senate polls
- South Africa mining production Jun-20 [fcst. -31.7% yy prev. -29.8%]
- UK hosts Nigeria technical conference on right of way webinar
- 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
- US military accuses Iran forces of boarding Liberia-flagged civilian ship
- Sudan boosts security in port city after 32 die in tribal clashes
- Killing of Cameroon woman by alleged separatists sparks outcry
- Congo to meet miners to debate copper concentrate export waivers
- Africa e-commerce group Jumia takes lockdown revenue hit
- Cameroon cancels logging plan that threatened rare apes
- Kenya elephant numbers more than double in 1980-2018 – tourism minister
- Mauritius says almost all oil removed from damaged Japan ship
- South Africa rand extends gains, stocks rally for 2nd day
- Mauritius tourism, reeling from Covid, now hit by oil spill
- Mali police use tear gas, water cannon to disperse protesters
- South Africa mines minister drops challenge to court ruling on black ownership threshold
- Nigeria convicts first pirates under new maritime law
- South Africa’s Northam Platinum sees higher annual profit
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters