African Markets - Factors to watch on Oct 16
Oct 16 (Reuters) - The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Friday.
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GLOBAL MARKETS
Asian shares edged higher on Friday with Japanese exporters gaining ground as a resurgent British pound put pressure on the yen, while oil hit a one-year high above $78 on news of a slump in U.S. oil inventories.
The MSCI index of Asia Pacific stocks traded outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS and the Thomson Reuters index of regional shares .TRXFLDAXPU were both up 0.2 percent. [ID:nHKG127079]
SOUTH AFRICAN MARKETS
The rand gave up ground against the dollar on Friday, weighed down by a retreat in gold after strong gains earlier in the week, and should track the metal's price in the absence of key domestic data. [ID:nLG127125]
The JSE Top-40 index of blue chips .JTOPI finished 0.64 percent higher at 23,521.20 points, its strongest closing level since Sept. 22, 2008, rising for the fourth straight day as an upbeat outlook for luxury goods in China lifted Richemont (CFRJ.J). [ID:nLF714362]
NIGERIA STOCKS
Nigerian stocks dropped by nearly 2 percent on Thursday with energy and banking stocks leading the decline in a low-volume session. The all-share index .LAGLG fell 1.85 percent to 22,560.43 points. Energy companies Mobil MOBL.LG and Chevron CHEV.LG both dipped by 5 percent on profit-taking. [ID:nLF355955]
KENYA MARKETS
* The Nairobi bourse main 20-share index .NSE20 was up 32.06 points to close at 3,001.21 on Thursday.
* The yield on Kenya's 182-day Treasury bill slid to 7.969 percent at this week's auction from 7.991 percent at the previous sale. [ID:nLF22489]
* Electrity producer KenGen (KEGN.NR) annual pretax profit up 48 pct on higher prices [ID:nLG138948]
* Total Kenya (TOTL.NR) Q3 pretax profit plunges 73 percent [ID:nLG154034]
MAURITIUS MARKETS
* Mauritius Commercial Bank MCBL.MZ dominated Thursday's trading on Mauritius' SEMDEX index .MDEX, climbing 1.36 percent at 149 rupees per share. Naiade Resorts NRL.MZ was the biggest gainer, up 5.94 percent at 53.50 rupees a share. The Indian Ocean island's benchmark index edged up 0.46 percent to settle at 1,740.04 points.
* Mauritius' economy will grow by 4.5 to 5 percent in 2010, against a forecast 2.7 percent this year, aided by a recovery in its tourism and textiles sectors. [ID:nLF674368]
EMERGING MARKETS
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COMMODITIES
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