By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asian shares down from 18-mth top; oil steady after US strikes
- MSCI Asia ex-Japan -0.09%
- Brent crude higher after US strikes in Syria, Iraq
- Gold continues push higher
Oil Markets
- Oil steady on trade pact optimism, stock draw; eyes on MidEast
- Brent up 12 cents at $68.28 a barrel (0210GMT)
- WTI up 1 cent at $61.73
Precious metals
- Gold edges up, holds near 2-mth peak in thin-volume trade
- Spot gold up 0.3% at $1,514.56/oz. (0112GMT)
- US gold futures unchanged at $1,517.50/oz.
Grains
- US wheat, soybeans maintain trade around over 1-yr highs
- Soybeans futures up 0.2% at $9.43-1/4 a bushel (0150GMT)
- Wheat futures up nearly unchanged at $5.56-3/4 a bushel
- Corn futures down 0.3% at $3.89 a bushel
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Guinea-Bissau runoff presidential election vote-counting
- Protests expected in Liberia
- Turkey’s foreign minister Cavusoglu to meet opposition leaders on Libya troop deployment
- Kenya inflation Dec-19 [fcst. 5.6% yy, prev. 5.4%]
- Uganda inflation Dec-19 [fcst. 3.4% yy, prev. 3.0%]
- South Africa PSCE Nov-19 [fcst. 7.7% yy, prev. 7.3%]
- South Africa M3 Nov-19 [fcst. 6.9% yy, prev. 7.3%]
- Nigeria manufacturing PMI Dec-19 [prev. 59.3]
- Nigeria non-manufacturing PMI Dec-19 [prev. 60.1]
Key African events or data releases over the weekend & early a.m today
- Sudan passes 2020 budget with anticipated deficit of $1.62 bln
- Ghana wants to join new West African currency but ditch euro peg
- Guinea-Bissau tallies votes from run-off to choose new president
- Egypt lowers gas grid usage fees by 24% to $0.29 per mmbtu – gas regulator
- ‘World’s oldest rhino’ dies in Tanzania at 57
- Egypt competition watchdog approves Uber acquisition of Careem with conditions
- Egypt & Sudan to operate joint electricity grid from Jan. 12 – agency
- Turkey to evacuate wounded after deadly Mogadishu blast
- Turkey speeds up Libya troop deployment deal to prevent slide into ‘chaos’
- Egypt awards oil and gas exploration concessions in Red Sea – statement
- Ivory Coast presidential candidate Soro rejects coup allegations
- Sudan to postpone lifting of fuel subsidies – minister
- Libya’s NOC may evacuate Zawiya refinery due to fighting nearby
- Ivory Coast leader says Soro must face full force of the law
- Truck bomb kills at least 90 in Mogadishu – international organisation
- Algeria names Abdelaziz Djerad as its new prime minister
- Ivory Coast opposition says Soro case is attempt to stifle dissent
- Sudan to lift fuel subsidies gradually in 2020 – minister
- [Terrorists] kill 10 in Nigeria attack targeting aid workers, Christians – witnesses
- Tunisia central bank keeps benchmark rate stable at 7.75% – state news agency
- Loadings at western Libya oil port undisrupted by nearby missile strike
- Zambia’s energy regulator allows state power utility to hike prices
- Africa Oil – High freight rates weigh on offers
- Ethiopia charges former head of state electricity firm, others with corruption
- South Africa’s rand powers to new 5-mth high
- Nigeria inks major LNG expansion with oil majors
- Namibian ex-ministers enmeshed in fish scandal in jail for New Year
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters