NAIROBI, Dec 24 (Reuters) - 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
Asian shares and the British pound rose on Thursday ahead of
the Christmas break, as Britain and the European Union closed
in on a free-trade deal and investors placed bets on global
economic recovery prospects. MKTS/GLOB
WORLD OIL PRICES
Oil extended gains on Thursday as a drawdown in U.S. stockpiles
of crude and gasoline lifted demand hopes, while investors also
cheered a potential Brexit trade deal. O/R
EMERGING MARKETS
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SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS
South Africa's rand firmed on Wednesday, ending a two-day
losing streak, as risk demand trickled back after being
battered by worries about a highly infectious new variant of
coronavirus in the country and elsewhere. MARKETS
The Kenyan shilling KES= strengthened on Wednesday due to
commercial banks selling off dollars and thin importer demand,
traders said. MARKETS
Some 1.03 billion shares of Nigeria's Access Bank ACCESS.LG
were sold at 8.10 naira each on Wednesday in a one-off stock
market deal valued at 8.34 billion naira ($22 million), traders
said. VIOLENCE
Gunmen killed more than 100 people in a dawn attack in the
western Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia on Wednesday, the
human rights commission said, as residents described fleeing
the latest deadly assault in an area bedevilled by ethnic
violence. AFRICAN REPUBLIC ELECTION
Panic gripped the streets of Central African Republic's capital
Bangui on Wednesday with businesses closing and people holing
up in their homes as the country braced for a general election
that has stoked the embers of violence. COVID-19 VACCINES
Africa needs about $9 billion to finance enough of COVID-19
vaccines to halt the pandemic on the continent, but a bigger
problem is accessing that supply amid the global race for
doses, an African Export Import Bank official said on
Wednesday. ELECTION
In a year marked by setbacks for West African democracy, Niger
is poised to hold an election on Sunday that will lead to the
country's first transition of power between two freely elected
presidents. PORT
Global port operator DP World has signed agreements with the
government of Senegal to develop a deep-water port at Ndayane
worth a total of $1.127 billion, its biggest investment in
Africa to date, the company said on Wednesday. For the latest precious metals report click on GOL/
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