Aug 16 (Reuters) – The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Friday.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Asia shares were headed for a weekly gain on Friday and Japan’s benchmark Nikkei was poised for its best week in over four years as upbeat risk sentiment spilled over from Wall Street, while the dollar and U.S. Treasury yields held broadly steady.

WORLD OIL PRICES

Oil prices edged lower in early Asian trading on Friday, but the market’s benchmarks were set for a second consecutive weekly gain after upbeat U.S. economic data eased investor worries about a potential recession in the top oil consuming nation.

AFRICA MARKETS

The Kenyan and Ghanaian currencies are expected to be broadly stable in the next week to Thursday, while the Nigerian, Ugandan and Zambian currencies could fall, traders said.

SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS

South Africa’s rand was not deterred by dollar gains on Thursday, firming after stronger-than-expected U.S. economic data and as markets look toward Federal Reserve comments at a meeting of global central bankers next week, analysts said.

KENYA MARKETS

Kenya’s shilling was unchanged against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, despite a slight uptick in foreign exchange demand from fuel traders and manufacturers, traders said.

AFRICA MPOX

Global health officials on Thursday confirmed an infection with a new strain of the mpox virus in Sweden and linked it to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent a day after the World Health Organization declared the disease a global public health emergency.

NIGERIA PIPELINE

Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea have signed an agreement to establish and operate a gas pipeline, Nigerian presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale said in a statement on Thursday.

((Compiled by Nairobi Newsroom))