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Jan 8 (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

Japanese stocks hit a 15-month high on Friday as the yen eased against the dollar, leading Asian shares higher, while gold and oil prices fell amid lingering concerns over possible central bank policy tightening in China.

SOUTH AFRICAN MARKETS

South Africa’s rand weakened against the dollar on Thursday as the greenback staged a broad rally, and local stocks eased, snapping three sessions of gains with telecoms leading the decline.

AFRICAN MARKETS

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NIGERIA MARKETS

Banking shares led by the rescued financial institutions dominate trading on Thursday, pushing up the Nigerian all-share index by 1.12 percent to 21,484 points. Shares in Afribank, Bank PHB, Oceanic Bank and Unity Bank, some of the banks rescued in a $4 billion bailout package last year recorded price gains of more than four percent each.

NIGERIA CHINA

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi visits the country’s capital Abuja to meet with Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe. The Chinese embassy says Yang will not be meeting with Nigerian oil ministers or state-run oil major NNPC during his visit.

WEST AFRICA BOURSE

West Africa’s regional BRVM stock exchange is expected to gain 15 percent in value in 2010 from its current 3.4 trillion CFA francs ($7.5 billion) after two years of declines.

KENYA ECONOMY

The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday rate cuts in Kenya were ‘appropriate’ and future monetary policy should focus on safeguarding price stability as the economic recovery gathers steam.

KENYA MARKETS

Shares in Safaricom rose 3.12 percent after Kenya’s telecoms regulator said the 3G licence fee would remain at $25 million.

The yield on Kenya’s 182-day Treasury bill fell to 7.136 percent from 7.245 percent at the previous sale.

ZIMBABWE DIAMONDS

Zimbabwe has halted the sale of diamonds from its controversial Marange fields, saying the process would only go ahead under international supervision.

COMMODITIES

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Keywords: MARKETS AFRICA FACTORS/

(Compiled by Nairobi newsroom)

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