Copper up on bargain hunting

(Reuters) - Copper gained on Wednesday with buyers returning to the market after selling in the last days of 2007, but doubts about global economic growth dampened sentiment, analysts said.

"There is a bit of bargain hunting... volumes are much better than New Year's Eve but the markets are still pretty subdued," analyst Leon Westgate at Standard Bank said.

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Liberty Group sees stronger H1 earnings

(Reuters) - South African insurance and asset management group Liberty Group expects headline earnings per share for the six months to end-June to increase by up to 55 percent, the firm said on Thursday.

Liberty Group, South Africa's third-biggest life insurer which is 30 percent-owned by Standard Bank, said headline EPS and EPS are expected to be 45-55 percent higher than the corresponding period a year ago.


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Standard Bank S Africa sets dlr bond guidance - lead

(Reuters) - The Standard Bank of South Africa Ltd has set price guidance on a five-year benchmark-sized dollar floating-rate note (FRN) it plans to sell, one of the lead managers said on Thursday.

Guidance for the senior FRN has been set at Libor plus 50 basis points area, the lead said.


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China's Investment in Africa to Boost Shilling, Cedi, Standard Bank Says

(Bloomberg) -- Kenya's shilling and Ghana's cedi
will rise as China increases spending on oil fields, roads and
telephone networks in Africa to secure raw material supplies,
Standard Bank Group Ltd. said.

The shilling may appreciate 3 percent against the dollar by
year-end, said Francis Beddington, the London-based head of
Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa research at Standard
Bank, Africa's largest by assets. He attended the Tunis-based
African Development Bank's annual meeting, held in China for the
first time last month to help attract funds to the continent.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News