Trump Set Record Sanctions Use That Biden Is Likely to Maintain

Trump Set Record Sanctions Use That Biden Is Likely to Maintain

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) — The Trump administration has imposed sanctions at a record-shattering pace of about three times a day during the president’s time in office: a slew of measures targeting companies, individuals and even oil tankers tied to Iran, North Korea, China, Venezuela and Russia. President-elect Joe Biden’s team is promising a top-to-bottom review of sanctions operations, but don’t expect a significant slowdown on his watch. About seven weeks before the inauguration, Biden’s…

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White House Return to Stimulus Talks Boosts Chance of a Deal

White House Return to Stimulus Talks Boosts Chance of a Deal

NEW YORK (Capital Markets in  Africa) — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin made a surprise re-entry into talks on a 2020 pandemic-relief package with a $916 billion proposal that opened a potential new path to a year-end deal despite objections from Democrats over elements of the plan. After largely leaving the task to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell since Election Day, Mnuchin pitched a $916 billion stimulus plan to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a Tuesday afternoon telephone call, more…

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‘Stars Aligning’ for South African Stocks as Risk Demand Builds

‘Stars Aligning’ for South African Stocks as Risk Demand Builds

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) — Equity strategists are making a growing case for 2021 to be a good year for South African stocks as global investors respond to the anticipated widespread availability of a coronavirus vaccine with an increased appetite for riskier assets. Local money manager Momentum Investments was the latest to add its voice on Tuesday, suggesting that “the stars are finally aligning” for the South African equity market. According to the Pretoria-based…

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Ghana Opposition Alleges Rigging as Election Result Delayed

Ghana Opposition Alleges Rigging as Election Result Delayed

ACCRA (Capital Markets in Africa) — Ghanaian opposition leader John Mahama accused the ruling party of using the military to alter the results of Monday’s election. The government denied the allegation. Claims of election rigging are unusual in Ghana, Africa’s top gold producer and one of the continent’s most stable democracies. In the last vote in 2016, Mahama conceded defeat to President Nana Akufo-Addo before a final tally was announced. Ghana’s electoral commission said it’s delayed the release of…

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When $2 Trillion Falls Short, the Next 2020 May Be Uninsurable

When $2 Trillion Falls Short, the Next 2020 May Be Uninsurable

LAGOS (Capitals in Markets in Africa) — There aren’t many contexts where $2 trillion seems like a paltry sum. Then a pandemic comes along. The economic fallout from Covid-19 has left insurers issuing existential warnings and businesses discovering they weren’t covered. It’s resulted in courts packed with lawsuits and governments scrambling to head off more pain. At the core is the reality that the global non-life insurance industry’s $2 trillion in the capital won’t last in a…

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Biden Reaches Deadline That Makes Victory Nearly Irreversible

Biden Reaches Deadline That Makes Victory Nearly Irreversible

NEW YORK (Capital Markets in Africa) — Joe Biden will be one formal step closer to the presidency after Tuesday’s deadline for states to certify their slates of electors to the Electoral College — locking in the names of the people who will formally vote to make Biden the president. Once that happens, there’s little turning back. Congress must by law accept those electors if there’s no outstanding litigation, and President Donald Trump’s legal challenges have…

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Egypt Lays Out What Bond Investors Craving Yield Can Expect

Egypt Lays Out What Bond Investors Craving Yield Can Expect

CAIRO (Capital Markets in Africa) — Egypt wants to get its local debt settled by Euroclear Bank SA in less than a year and introduce its first floating-rate bonds by mid-2021, part of a push to cut borrowing costs and stoke rebounding demand for its notes. A deal with Belgium-based Euroclear will mean a “safe gateway” to the market for “big-ticket investors such as central banks and increase demand and liquidity by expanding our investor…

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