The South African Rand is trading steady against the US dollar and other crosses on Friday, while the latest report shows that the country’s foreign reserves fell due to weaker gold prices.

Brent topped $95 per barrel on Friday amidst tighter US sanctions against Russia and persistent geopolitical risks. Meanwhile, hopes for diplomatic progress between Washington and Tehran tempered further gains.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) is preparing for a landmark initial public offering (IPO) targeting proceeds of around $ 75 billion at an implied valuation of $1.75 trillion to $ 2 trillion.

Global equities markets are heading for a mixed close this week amid easing tensions in the Middle East, while negative sentiment amplified AI stock sell-offs. 

Bitcoin price (BTCUSD) nosedived to $61,491, underperforming the broader market’s 4.46% decline and was driven primarily by sustained institutional selling pressure.

Ethereum (ETHUSD) price fell 8.05% over the last 24 hours to $1,638.21, underperforming the broader market decline and was primarily driven by a sector-wide altcoin sell-off.

Ripple (XRP) has lost about 8% in the last 24 hours, trading at $1.10 on Friday on sustained institutional selloffs, and technical breakdown.

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has successfully raised a record US$2 billion syndicated loan, underscoring strong global investor support for the rapid buildout of integrated infrastructure and industrial platforms shaping Africa’s next phase of economic growth.

The naira mixed on Thursday, slipping against the US dollar (US$) at the Nigeria Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) as international payments surpassed FX supply.

The Nigerian equities market extended its bearish run on Thursday, with the All-Share Index declining 0.37% to settle at 242,227.31 points.  The local bourse shrank as sell pressure persisted for four days straight, in what some stockbrokers now call a price correction after a fast-and-furious rally.