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Two weeks ago, WTI crude for May delivery tumbled deep into negative territory. Some could argue the writing was on the wall when major #African producers failed to secure buyers from staple and long-haul markets, against a backdrop of severely limited storage capacity. Even now, markets in contango offer little comfort to naturally-long or speculatively-short
“Luigi Di Maio, Italian deputy prime minister… accused the French government of manipulating the economies of mainly former French colonies in Africa, which use a form of the pre-independence currency known as a CFA franc.” Source: BBC Franc commentary: Myriad of African economists have argued on both sides of this issue over recent decades, so, that
Questions over the CFA franc’s peg to the euro; and XAF/XOF parity A Franctrade survey suggests that the CFA franc’s peg to the euro will remain a major theme for business and industry leaders in the region in 2019 with many participants taking the view that a devaluation of the currency is now
Most of the CFA franc zone countries in both central and west Africa are currently considered to be at moderate risk of debt distress. Of the remaining four, three are deemed to be at high risk of debt distress–Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Chad; while Senegal is at low risk. None of the countries profiled is
Sources:CARI, franctrade
The just ended Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing,China showcased South-South cooperation at a time when protectionist policies have gained ground in some major economies and which risk undermining North-South partnerships. China’s pledge of another USD60 billion in additional support for African countries has fueled debate on the sustainability of China’s financial and trading relationship with Africa. Meanwhile,
Franc view: The combination of tighter supply, rising demand and positive short-term technicals (the RSI appears deeply oversold) suggest cocoa prices will not return to the doldrums of 2017. The Ball Cocoa’s glittering rise, from $1,809/tonne on December 22, 2017 to a high of $2,914/tonne on May 1, 2018 (NY futures), was reminiscent of the
Highlights Franctrade estimates the UK’s total trade with Africa fell 4% in 2017 to US$ 24.6 billion. This compares with a 4% increase in the UK’s trade with the world during the same period; Total CFA franc zone trade with the UK fell 14% in 2017 (est), steeper than the decline in the UK’s trade
Dr Edoh Kossi Amenounve, the CEO of the Francophone West African regional stock market (BRVM) is on an international tour to promote the bourse which is showing signs of recovery after 2 years of sluggish performance. With 3 IPOs in the pipeline and a catalogue of “good” projections, Dr Amenounve is hoping to woo investors looking
FrancSterling Index: Franctrade introduces its FrancSterling Index (FSI) tracking the trade-weighted west and central African CFA franc (CFAF) against the British pound sterling (GBP). Sterling has been softer vs. the CFAF with the currency largely weighed down by market concerns related to Brexit. A moderate recovery in the index in Q2-2017 and Q4-2017 has not
