African Markets - Factors to watch on March 27

NAIROBI, March 27 - The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Wednesday.

- - - - - EVENTS:

KENYA - The Supreme Court starts hearing a petition filed by

Raila Odinga on the validity of this month's presidential

vote and its outcome.

KENYA - The central bank sells 182-Treasury bills.

MALAWI - Statistics agency releases February inflation. CPI

quickened to 35.1 percent in January.

GHANA - Ghana Statistical Service releases producer

inflation data for February. GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian shares rose on Wednesday as positive U.S. data

pointing to a moderate recovery in the economy offered

comfort, while the euro eased on worries over the

consequences of the Cyprus bank bailout deal which inflicts

huge losses on wealthier depositors.

WORLD OIL PRICES

Brent held steady above $109 a barrel on Wednesday after

robust U.S. data brightened the outlook for demand from the

world's biggest oil consumer, but festering worries over the

euro zone continued to drag.

EMERGING MARKETS

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AFRICA STOCKS

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SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS

South Africa's rand firmed on Tuesday after a government

bond auction drew strong demand, although gains were limited

by nagging concern about the outlook for the euro zone.

SOUTH AFRICA SHARES

South African stocks bounced back from a six-day losing

streak on Tuesday, closing up 0.61 percent as a strong

performance on overseas markets helped boost Africa's

biggest bourse. NIGERIA INFLATION

Nigeria's inflation is likely to exceed 10 percent at some

point over the next few months, but will return to single

digits by the fourth quarter, Nigeria's deputy central bank

governor said on Tuesday. NIGERIA MILITANT

A South African court sentenced suspected former Niger Delta

rebel leader Henry Okah to 24 years in jail on Tuesday for

masterminding two deadly car bombings in the Nigerian

capital in 2010, officials said.

KENYA MARKETS The Kenyan shilling

firmed on Tuesday helped by tea

sector dollar inflows after the weekly auction, while shares

rallied for the third straight session.

MAURITIUS ECONOMY

Mauritius has cut its economic growth forecast slightly for

2013 to 3.5 percent, the Statistics office said on Tuesday,

citing a deeper contraction in the construction industry.

SUDAN CONSTITUTION

Sudan's vice president on Tuesday invited rebel groups to

help prepare a new constitution, a sign of Khartoum's

newly-relaxed stance toward the insurgents since signing

border security deals with South Sudan this month.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC REBELLION

Looters and gunmen roamed the streets of Central African

Republic's capital Bangui on Tuesday as rebels and regional

peacekeepers struggled to restore order two days after a

coup plunged the mineral-rich country into chaos.

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((Compiled by Nairobi Newsroom))

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