By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asian shares climb on prospects of trade progress, low rates
• MSCI Asia ex-Japan +0.14%
• S&P 500, Dow Jones, Nasdaq finish at record closing highs
• Trade headlines offset soft US data

Oil Markets

• Oil dips after US stock build; US-China deal hopes support
• Brent down 0.3% at $64.08 a barrel (0145GMT)
• WTI down 0.3% at $58.24

Precious metals

• Gold eases as Trump’s remarks boost trade deal hopes
• Spot gold down 0.1% at $1,459.91/oz. (0103GMT)
• US gold futures unchanged at $1,460.60/oz.

Grains

• US soybeans tick up after deep losses, South American competition caps gains
• Wheat futures up 0.1% at $5.31-1/2 per bushel (0141GMT)
• Corn futures up 0.1% at $3.67-3/4 per bushel
• Soy futures up 0.3% at $8.86-1/2 per bushel
• Rice futures nearly unchanged at $12.24 per hundredweight

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

• Kenya’s “BBI” constitutional reforms report launch by Kenyatta et al.
• Namibia general elections
• Bank of Mauritius interest rate decision [fcst. 3.25%, prev. 3.35%]
• South Africa’s Ramaphosa working visit to Lesotho
• South Africa business confidence Q4 2019 [prev. 21]
• 2019 Euroliberian film festival in Monrovia
• Global gender summit in Kigali; 25-27 Nov
• South Africa state capture inquiry continues

Key African events or data releases yesterday & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]

• Pompeo urges Egypt to respect freedom of press after journalist detentions
• Egypt launches first communication satellite – cabinet
• South Africa’s power sector reform timeline “optimistic” – S&P
• Tunisia’s state airline to axe 400 jobs in cost-cutting plan
• Zambia’s KCM smelter set to restart after 2-wk delay – minister
• Zimbabwe senior doctors stop work as public hospital strike spreads
• French troops pursuing Mali militants killed in helicopter collision
• Africa Oil – Total sells Dalia, more Nigerian programmes appear
• Floods kill at least 39 in Congo’s capital Kinshasa
• South African rand steady, focus on US-China talks
• Nigeria holds rates after border closures spur inflation
• Energy-short South Sudan powers up – but with fossil fuels
• Nigeria’s central bank holds benchmark interest rate at 13.5%
• Glencore’s Mutanda mine in Congo shuts a month early
• Kenyan lenders to shun “wild west banditry”, central banker says
• WHO, UNICEF evacuate 76 staff from ebola teams in Congo due to insecurity
• Egypt to sell land to help restructure state companies
• Kenya shilling weakens on end month demand
• French Mali troops died after ‘Tigre’ and ‘Cougar’ helicopters collided
• Ugandan shilling unchanged amid inflows from exporters
• Tanzania secures $1 bln syndicated loan from TDB bank for infrastructure
• Egypt to sell 22%-25% of Heliopolis shares in Q1, minister says
• Botswana opposition challenges election result in court
• South Africa’s Omnia Holdings swings into interim profit
• US officials meet with Libya’s Haftar amid push to end Tripoli offensive

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