The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Thursday.
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GLOBAL MARKETS Asia stocks rose to a four-month high on Thursday after the Federal Reserve pledged to be patient with further interest rate hikes, signalling a potential end to its tightening cycle amid signs of slowing global growth. The dollar struggled near a three-week trough against its major peers and U.S. Treasury yields were significantly lower as investors reacted to the Fed's change in tone. MKTS/GLOB
WORLD OIL PRICES Oil prices rose for a third day on Thursday, pushed up by signs of lower imports into the United States as part of efforts by OPEC to tighten the market. O/R
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SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS South Africa's rand steadied against the dollar on Wednesday as investors awaited the Federal Reserve's policy decision and U.S.-China trade talks later in the day. AFRICA CORRUPTION South Africa's deputy minister of finance and chairman of the state-owned Public Investment Corporation (PIC), Mondli Gungubele, said on Wednesday he had done nothing wrong after a whistleblower made new graft allegations at the pension fund. AFRICA ESKOM South African miners support a restructuring of struggling state power firm Eskom to boost competition in the electricity supply industry, an industry body said on Wednesday, warning that tariff hikes alone would not solve Eskom's problems. CORRUPTION Nigerian opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar said on Wednesday he would consider an amnesty for corruption suspects in order to help recover billions of dollars stashed abroad by the country's politicians and government officials. MARKETS The Kenyan shilling KES= was seen easing against the dollar on Tuesday due to increased demand from oil and goods importers buying dollars to meet end month obligations, traders said. PROTESTS Security forces detained the daughter of Sudanese opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi on Wednesday, her family said, as anti-government protests spread to the capital's main university. CRISIS Zimbabwe's public sector unions were divided on Wednesday over whether to launch a national strike after wage talks with the government failed, leaving the country on edge over the possibility of more unrest. TRIAL
Ethiopian prosecutors on Wednesday charged the former president of the Somali Region and 46 others with instigating ethnic violence there last year, as the new prime minister cracks down on the security services and senior members of past administrations. the latest precious metals report click on GOL/
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