By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica
Global Markets
- Asia stocks rise on vaccine hopes, eyes on US payrolls
- MSCI ex-Japan rises, all major Asian indexes in black
- Shanghai copper at 6-mth highs on supply fears
- Investor focus on US employment data due later in the day
- Currencies tread water
Oil Markets
- Oil prices dip on demand worries as California reimposes restrictions
- Brent down 0.3% at $41.89 a barrel (0024GMT)
- WTI down 0.3% at $39.69
Precious metals
- Gold eases off near 8-yr peak after solid US data
- Spot gold down 0.2% at $1,767.11/oz. (0034GMT)
- US gold futures down 0.2% at $1,777.30/oz.
Grains
- Corn eases after rally, lower US planting stems fall
- Corn futures down 0.2% at $3.59-3/4 a bushel (0030GMT)
- Soybeans down 0.1% at $8.98 a bushel
- Wheat down 0.4% at $4.96-3/4 a bushel
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handles @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica]
- Nigeria raises fuel prices
- AfDB hosts Africa infrastructure finance webinar
- South Africa current account balance Q1-20 [fcst. -2.7% of GDP, prev. -1.3%]
- Electoral Commission Ghana voter re-registration continues
- 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
- Burkina Faso probes bullet-ridden bodies discovered after army operation
- Nigeria to restart domestic flights July 8 in easing of coronavirus curbs
- Mali opposition seeks to curb president’s authority in reform plan
- Algeria president pardons protest movement activists
- Military deployed in Ethiopia capital after more than 80 killed in protests
- Egypt reopens airports and welcomes tourists to pyramids after covid closure
- Sierra Leone doctors treating covid-19 patients to go on strike
- ‘We are not guinea pigs’, say South Africa anti-vaccine protesters
- Egypt parliament approves $5 bln supplemental spending bill
- Monk’s death sentence commuted to life for murder of bishop at Egypt monastery
- Big South Africa insurers face $232 mln in claims from 500 virus-hit firms
- South Africa eases lockdown, eco-tourism community fears for future
- South Africa’s Sasol to sell Escravos gas-to-liquids plant to Chevron
- Sierra Leone doctors treating covid-19 patients to go on strike
- Mauritius investigates alleged round-tripping linked to Wirecard AG
- Portfolio inflows to emerging markets to continue to recover – IIF
- Morocco’s trade deficit narrows 12% y/y in Jan-May
- More than 40,000 people forcefully evicted in East Africa during coronavirus crisis
- Libya’s NOC says force majeure continues pending lifting of blockade
- Outflanked by China in Africa, Taiwan eyes unrecognised Somaliland
- South Africa’s Transnet names Dlamini as CFO
- South Africa – Johannesburg exchange fines Tongaat over non-compliance
- Child labour on Ivory Coast cocoa farms rises during pandemic, study finds
- Actis-backed African education group acquires Nigeria university – CEO
- Turkey business group plans Libya trip to set post-war plan – sources
- Congo and the chocolate factory: New producer hits the sweet spot
- Uganda shilling inches up against the dollar
- Easing lockdown lifts South Africa’s Absa PMI in June
- Congo vows zero tolerance over child soldiers after US anti-trafficking nod
- South Africa retailer Steinhoff posts bigger full-year loss
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters