Analysis: Indices

As US agriculture flails, farmers see big corn acres as best bet to break even

U.S. farmers, though punished by slumping prices after last year's monster corn harvest, are expected to cut back only slightly on their plantings of the grain in 2026 as they brace for a fourth...

China's EXIM Bank has over $289 billion in outstanding Belt and Road loans, CCTV reports

China's Export-Import Bank had more than 2 trillion yuan in outstanding loans supporting President Xi Jinping's vast Belt and Road infrastructure initiative as of end January, state broadcaster CCTV...

Ghana pays $909 million in interest in domestic debt exchange programme

Ghana's government has paid 10 billion cedis in interest under its Domestic Debt Exchange Programme , the finance ministry said on Wednesday, marking the sixth coupon settlement since a restructuring...

Namibia holds key rate steady at first meeting under new governor

Namibia's central bank kept its policy rate unchanged on Wednesday in its first meeting under new Governor Ebson Uanguta, saying it wanted to ensure stability in capital flows and preserve the...

South African rand flat ahead of local data

The South African rand was muted in early trade on Wednesday, as traders awaited inflation data, retail sales data and a business confidence index that will shed light on the country's economic...

Grandson of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup inventor questions Hershey over alternative ingredients

The grandson of the man who created the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup took to social media over the weekend to criticize the popular candy's manufacturer, The Hershey Company, about alleged changes in the...

'Exports to China look dismal,' leader of busiest US seaport says

Exports from the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest U.S. gateway for ocean trade, fell 8% in January to the lowest monthly output in nearly three years, Executive Director Gene Seroka said on Tuesday. ...

Trump says Japan to invest in energy, industrial projects in Ohio, Texas and Georgia

President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday announced three projects valued at $36 billion to be financed by Japan, including an oil export facility in Texas, an industrial diamonds plant in...

Senegal expected to make March Eurobond payments on time, sources say

DAKAR, Feb 17 - Senegal expects to make its hefty March Eurobond payments on time, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. The West African country has raised...

Mozambique needs fiscal consolidation as financing problems mount, IMF says

Mozambique needs to implement ambitious fiscal consolidation measures to mitigate worsening debt dynamics, delays in debt servicing and limited external financing that weigh on the economy, the...

MTN to take full control of IHS Towers in deal valuing it at $6.2 billion

MTN Group has agreed to take full control of IHS Holding, buying the roughly 75% stake it does not already own in a deal that values the tower operator at about $6.2 billion, the companies said on...

South Africa's Q4 unemployment rate falls to 31.4%, lowest in five years

South Africa's unemployment rate fell modestly in the fourth quarter, reaching its lowest in over five years as jobs were added in social services, construction and finance, data showed on Tuesday,...

Kenya airport workers' strike called off, Nation Media Group reports

A strike by Kenyan airport workers has been called off after the Kenya Aviation Workers Union reached an agreement with the transport ministry, the Nation Media Group reported on Tuesday. ...

Dangote signs $400 million equipment deal with China's XCMG to speed up refinery expansion

Nigeria's Dangote Group has signed a $400 million equipment deal with China's Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group to speed up the expansion of its oil refinery toward a planned 1.4 million barrels per...

India looks to Middle East, Asia to cushion EU carbon tax blow to steel exports

India is seeking new steel export markets in the Middle East and Asia to offset the impact of the European Union's carbon tax that took effect in January, a government source said. ...

Holiday Inn owner IHG banks on World Cup for US recovery

InterContinental Hotels Group is banking on the soccer World Cup to revive U.S. travel in 2026 after a third straight quarterly drop in room revenues there, though European and Asian demand helped it...

Cocoa stocks from main harvest pile up in Ivory Coast warehouses

Unsold bags of cocoa beans are stacked almost to the ceiling in Sekou Dagnogo's warehouse in Ivory Coast's western Duekoue town, where his cooperative is struggling to sell to exporters following a...

A new blockbuster year for the Nikkei?

After three years of strong gains, Japan's benchmark index has started 2026 at full throttle.

Another big year for the Nikkei?

After three years of strong gains, Japan's benchmark index has started 2026 at a blistering pace.