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

Global Markets

• Stocks down on fresh lockdown worries, banking sell-off; dollar rises
• Asian shares extend losses for 2^nd consecutive day
• Banking sector sell-off continues on dirty money reports
• Fresh lockdown worries, stimulus delay spook investors
• Brent up 0.3% at $41.95, gold last at $1,908.76

Oil Markets

• Oil rises as US storm eases, but demand worries linger
• Brent up 0.3% at $41.57 a barrel (0224GMT)
• WTI up 0.7% at $39.57

 
Precious metals

• Gold edges higher as dollar halts surge on Covid worries
• Spot gold up 0.3% at $1,918.20/oz. (0052GMT)
• US gold futures up 0.6% at $1,921.50/oz.

Grains

• Corn rebounds on China demand, though improved crop ratings cap gains
• Corn futures up 0.2% at $3.70-1/2 a bushel (0332GMT)
• Soybeans up 0.3% at $10.26 a bushel
• Wheat up 0.5% at $5.57-1/2 a bushel

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

• Nigeria’s central bank decides interest rates [fcst. 12.5%, prev. 12.5%]
• Ghana health workers on strike
• Cameroon opposition protest expected
• Nigeria petrol tanker drivers go on strike
• Ghana’s EC displays new voters register; 18-25 Sep
• 75^th session of UN General Assembly (15-30 Sep); high-level general debate starts
• South Africa state capture inquiry continues
• Covid-19 updates by authorities across the continent

Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today

• B2Gold says Mali political situation ‘headed in right direction’
• Kenya’s top judge advises parliament to dissolve over lack of women
• Former Mali colonel Ndaw named interim president, junta leader VP
• Cameroon soldiers jailed for killing women and children
• Armed men kill at least a dozen civilians in northeast Congo
• Botswana says toxins in water killed hundreds of elephants
• Nigeria health workers end strike despite no coronavirus harzard pay
• Kinross Gold CEO sees ‘very low’ risk of unrest spreading to Mauritania
• Ivory Coast opposition calls for protests to stop Ouattara’s third term bid
• Sibanye-Stillwater looking to buy gold mines outside South Africa – CEO
• Coronavirus rumours and regulations mar Burkina Faso’s malaria fight
• South Africa’s stocks, rand plunge on risk-off market sentiment
• Senegal’s economy to contract 0.7% in 2002, IMF says
• Ivory Coast dry spell supports cocoa main crop
• OPEC watching Libya oil restart closely, needs time to assess – sources
• Egypt discovers 27 sarcophagi more than 2,500 years old
• Zimbabwe teachers to boycott work over pay, demand Covid-19 allowance
• Oil tanker heads to Libya’s Hariga terminal as NOC partially lifts force majeure
• Turkey will keep supporting Libya’s GNA despite Sarraji plan to quit
• Botswana says cyanobacteria cause of mysterious elephant deaths
• Algeria announces early legislative election
• Algeria names new central bank governor, says President Tebboune
• Morocco orders Covid-19 vaccine as cases approach 100,000
• South Africa to allow travel from all of Africa from Oct. 1
• South Africa’s Investec profit warning increases heat from investors

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