Rand Could Be 2019’s Lira as Eskom Woes Weigh, StanChart Says

Rand Could Be 2019’s Lira as Eskom Woes Weigh, StanChart Says

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s rand is most at risk of a slide among the high-yielding currencies this year even as a more dovish Federal Reserve and weaker dollar support developing-nation assets, according to Standard Chartered Plc. Domestic mis-steps and weak fundamentals in emerging-markets could quickly outweigh a supportive global environment, especially during spurts of strength in U.S. markets, Standard Chartered analysts Geoff Kendrick, Razia Khan and Samir Gadio wrote in a note to clients. “While global…

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Anglo Platinum Hikes Dividend as Palladium Surge Boosts Cash

Anglo Platinum Hikes Dividend as Palladium Surge Boosts Cash

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Platinum prices are languishing near decade lows, yet investors in the No. 1 supplier of the metal haven’t had it this good for years. Anglo American Platinum Ltd. declared its biggest dividend since 2008 as the company reported full-year earnings that nearly doubled, thanks to a weaker rand and surging prices for sister metal palladium. The Johannesburg-based miner’s shares have risen 104% in the past 12 months. While rivals…

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May Seeks EU Help on Brexit as Ministers Revolt Over No-Deal

May Seeks EU Help on Brexit as Ministers Revolt Over No-Deal

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) Theresa May will lead a last-ditch diplomatic drive to persuade European Union leaders to save her Brexit agreement, as she faces a rebellion from Cabinet ministers who want to stop the U.K. leaving without a deal. May’s allies believe she has just nine days left to save her strategy before members of Parliament run out of patience and step in to take over the process in a vote scheduled for Feb….

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Seven U.K. Labour MPs Quit Party in Brexit Split With Corbyn

Seven U.K. Labour MPs Quit Party in Brexit Split With Corbyn

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – Seven Labour politicians quit the U.K.’s main opposition party as Brexit cracked open the structures that have defined British politics for decades, just six weeks before the U.K. is due to leave the European Union. At a snap press conference in London, the members of Parliament stood up to explain why they had resigned in protest at Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the party. Just five minutes earlier, they’d pressed the button…

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What to Watch in Commodities: Glasenberg, BHP, M&A, Brexit, Oil

What to Watch in Commodities: Glasenberg, BHP, M&A, Brexit, Oil

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – For commodity investors, this week will be dominated by metals and menus. The schedule is crowded with earnings from the mining industry’s titans, including Ivan Glasenberg’s Glencore Plc, BHP Group, Anglo American Plc and Newmont Mining Corp. The companies will offer insight into the global outlook, the industry’s response to Vale SA’s dam burst tragedy, and in the case of Newmont, how it might fare after it swallows Goldcorp Inc. On the…

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Graft Toll Mounts as South African Services Firm Faces Collapse

Graft Toll Mounts as South African Services Firm Faces Collapse

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – A South African company embroiled in allegations that it paid millions of rand a month in bribes to secure government contracts is facing collapse, becoming the biggest casualty since President Cyril Ramaphosa started a probe into state corruption. African Global Operations, the services company formerly known as Bosasa, will apply for either a voluntary liquidation or business rescue after a local bank informed the firm it will close its accounts by the…

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Nigeria Counts Cost of Last-Minute Vote Delay as Stocks Tank

Nigeria Counts Cost of Last-Minute Vote Delay as Stocks Tank

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigerian stocks fell the most in more than five months and bond yields rose after Africa’s biggest oil producer delayed last weekend’s presidential and parliamentary election at the last minute. The one-week postponement, just a few hours before voting was scheduled to start on Saturday morning, rattled investors and led to accusations from both President Muhammadu Buhari’s party and the opposition, led by Atiku Abubakar, of skulduggery against one another. Nigeria’s…

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