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Rand under pressure as commodities sag
June 27, 2011--The rand fell to a near-month low against the dollar on Monday, weighed down by weaker commodity prices and also feeling the pressure from falling global equity markets.
The currency dropped to R6.9225 to the greenback, its weakest since May 31, before coming back to R6.9139 by 06:41 GMT, compared with Friday's close at R6.91.
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Source: FIN24
Bonds end quiet session firmer
June 27, 2011--South African bonds remained firm in late trade on Monday. A local trader said it had been an "absolutely dead quiet day".
By 15:50, the benchmark R157 bond was trading at 7.395% from its previous close of 7.420%. The R207 was bid at 8.315% and offered at 8.285% from 8.320%, and the R186 was trading at 8.520% from 8.525%.
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Source: FIN24
Cosatu 'firmly' favours bank, mines grab
June 27, 2011-- Cosatu remains firmly in support of the nationalisation of mines and the banks, it emerged on Monday.
The support for nationalisation is stated in Cosatu secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi's report to the trade union federation's fifth central committee meeting.
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Source: FIN24
JSE rises, rand succumbs to forex buying
June 24, 2011--South Africa’s stocks were up more that 1% while bonds gained as foreigners bought local debt, attracted by higher yields.
Despite offshore interest in bonds, the rand recorded its biggest weekly loss in six weeks. It was on the back foot partly due to Reserve Bank buying of foreign exchange.
It will likely keep its weaker tone as worries that Greece might not pass austerity measures needed for the country to secure loans kept investors hesitant to pile on risky assets.
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Source: FIN24
Offshore interest boosts bonds
June 24, 2011--South African bonds remained firm in late trade on Friday, which a trader said was on the back of foreign interest for local bonds.
By 15:50, the benchmark R157 bond was trading at 7.420% from its previous close of 7.485%. The R207 was bid at 8.330% and offered at 8.305% from 8.375%, and the R186 was trading at 8.520% from 8.600%.
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Source: FIN24
Rand, JSE hit by recovery jitters
June 23, 2011--South African markets fell more than 1.5% on Thursday as investors dumped high risk assets in favour of the dollar on worries that the global economic recovery may be stalling.
The rand registered its biggest daily fall to the dollar since May 23 and was in the bottom three of the worst performers among emerging currencies tracked by Reuters.
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Source: FIN24
CPI and Fed put JSE on back foot
June 22, 2011-- The JSE ended lower on Wednesday as investors waited anxiously for the US Federal Reserve meeting, which gets underway later today. Only gold counters shone in the trading session, while European stocks generally were firmer.
Weighing negatively on the local market sentiments were persistent concerns about the debt crisis in Greece and SA's disappointing inflation data, said Dimitri Mitropapas, a stock broker at PSG Konsult.
By 17:00 local time, the JSE All Share [JSE:J203] index was down 0.58%, with resources falling 0.33% and platinum miners dropping 1.64%. Industrials also lost 0.74%, financials eased 0.83% and banks were 1.24% lower. Elsewhere, gold miners firmed 1.13%.
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Source: FIN24
Soft rand and CPI data weigh on bonds
June 22, 2011-South African bonds remained in weaker territory during late trade on Wednesday. A local trader said the softer rand and "surprising" CPI figure had continued to weigh on the market.
Statistics SA said the increase in SA's consumer price index (CPI), which is used by the SA Reserve Bank for its inflation target, was 4.6% year on year (y/y) in May from 4.2% y/y in April,. CPI was 0.5% month on month (m/m) from 0.3% in April.
The CPI was expected to have ticked up to 4.3% y/y, according to a survey of leading economists by I-Net Bridge. Forecasts among the eight economists ranged from 4.3% to 4.5%.
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Source: FIN24
Rand holds firm against dollar
June 22, 2011--The rand touched near two-week highs against the dollar on Wednesday ahead of data likely to show an uptick in inflation, keeping alive the changes of interest rates rising by year-end.
Government bonds extended the previous day's gains as relatively higher yields gave local debt the edge over bonds in developed economies.
By 06:39 GMT the rand was at R6.7025 to the dollar, up 0.15% from Tuesday's R6.7125 close.
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Source: FIN24
JSE ends flat despite Greek crisis
June 22, 2011-- The JSE reversed much of the session's losses and ended virtually flat on Monday, despite persistent uncertainty over the Greek debt crisis. Wall Street rose slightly at the opening bell, helping local stocks.
There hadn't been fresh bad news from Europe, giving the market some breathing space, said Kevin Algeo, portfolio manager at Imara SP Reid.
By 17:00 local time, the JSE All Share [JSE:J203] index was down a slight 0.14%, with resources dropping 0.60%.
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Source: FIN24
