Rand weakens on New York inactivity
October 29, 2012--The rand weakened on Monday afternoon as a lack of activity due to the closure of markets in the United States, caused by Hurricane Sandy, frustrated traders.
At 15:25‚ the rand was bid at R8.6795/$ from Friday’s close of R8.6622. It was bid at R11.1993 the euro from its previous close of R11.1745 and at R13.9185 against sterling from R13.9027 before.
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Source: FIN24
Banks pull JSE lower
October 26, 2012--The JSE continued weaker just before noon on Friday, in line with weaker world markets, with banks and gold miners putting the main strain on the bourse.
Market participants now await the US third quarter GDP number - out this afternoon - which should give further market direction.
At 11:50‚ the JSE All Share [JSE:J203] index was down 0.46% at 36 823.70 points‚ with the Top 40 - (Tradeable) [JSE:J200] dipping 0.48% to 32 648.60. Banks lost 1.06%‚ gold shares were down 1.01% and financials gave up 0.96%.
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Source: FIN24
Rand strengthens on US GDP data
October 26, 2012--The rand strengthened on Friday afternoon after better-than-expected US GDP data boosted markets.
“The local currency strengthened on better-than-expected US GDP data. It was expected to be 1.8% but it came in at 2%‚” said Ockert van Niekerk‚ head of trading at PSG.
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Source: FIN24
Platinums pull JSE higher
October 25, 2012--The JSE was higher at noon on Thursday, with platinum counters in the lead due to a higher platinum price.
Trade was quiet on the JSE‚ with market players awaiting the medium-term budget policy statement being tabled in Parliament at 14:00.
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Source: FIN24
Foreign direct investment to SA plummets
October 24, 2012--Foreign direct investment flows to South Africa tumbled 43.6% in the first half of 2012 compared to the same period last year, while FDI to the continent as a whole rose by 5%, a United Nations report said on Tuesday.
The decline in FDI to Africa's biggest economy came amid an 8% drop in global FDI inflows due to heightened global economic uncertainty, according to the UN's Global Investment Trends Monitor.
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Source: FIN24
Resources pull JSE higher
October 24, 2012--The JSE closed firmer on Wednesday with resources leading the upside recovering from Tuesday's fall and buoyed by better Chinese economic data out this morning.
The Chinese HSBC flash manufacturing purchasing managers’ index increased to 49.1 in October from 47.9 in September‚ which may indicate that China has seen the worst of the contraction in their manufacturing sector.
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Source: FIN24
Rand strengthens, all eyes on budget
October 24, 2012--The rand strengthened slightly in the afternoon on Wednesday as traders eye the medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) on Thursday.
“All the local currency traders are keeping an eye on tomorrow’s MTBPS. The higher than expected inflation data caused the rand to weaken when it came out‚ but it seemed to have clawed itself back‚” said Lynden Reabow‚ an FX sales trader from PSG Prime.
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Source: FIN24
Platinums, resources drag JSE lower
October 23, 2012--The JSE was softer at noon on Tuesday amid quiet trade, with the market waiting for fresh news to give it direction.
The platinum price was significantly lower dragging the platinum sector down‚ while gold miners managed to provide some upside to the local market.
At 12:28pm‚ the JSE All Share [JSE:J203] index was down 0.39%‚ at 36‚822.80 points‚ with platinums down 2.60%‚ while gold miners were 0.65% stronger.
European markets were mostly trading lower with London’s FTSE 100 seen 0.74% softer at 12:31pm local time.
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Source: FIN24
Rand falls against dollar, bonds stable
October 23, 2012--The rand was slightly weaker against the dollar on Tuesday as the market remained tentative ahead of a slew of local data this week, including the medium-term budget statement.
The rand was at R8.6765 to the dollar at 06:43 GMT, 0.5% below Monday’s New York close.
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Source: FIN24
Banks, gold miners help JSE firmer
October 22, 2012-- The JSE closed higher on Monday with banks and gold miners leading the upside, after the former had a soft previous week, and gold mining companies taking a firmer stance on striking workers;
all indices‚ barring resources (-0.03%) closed in the black.
Traders were also eyeing the medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) on Thursday for further direction. The release of the Reserve Bank’s leading indicator and consumer and producer inflation figures are also due this week. Investors are also watching developments in the eurozone after the Spanish president got a vote of confidence in regional elections‚ which could lead the way for Spain to ask for a bailout‚ which would lift investors sentiment both worldwide and locally.
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Source: FIN24