Share

Rand firmer as global risk appetite rises

Johannesburg - The rand hovered near the previous session's two-week highs against the dollar on Wednesday, benefiting mainly from an upswing in global risk appetite.

At 08:40 the local unit traded at R11.3840 to the greenback, barely off Tuesday's closing level of R11.3720.

The rand had climbed more than 1% to R11.3650 the previous day, its strongest since January 22, as recent interest rate cuts by some central banks, the latest being Australia's Reserve Bank, boosted appetite for high yielding assets.

READ: Australia cuts interest rate to record low

In fixed income, the yield on government debt maturing in 2026 added 4 basis points to 7.215%.

Improving global sentiment due to a rising oil price and hopes of a resolution to Greece's debt problems had hit the dollar and bonds, helping the rand, RMB currency analyst John Cairns said.

"Yesterday’s price action shows that global markets - including the rand, local bonds and equities - are now tied to the Greek and oil stories," Cairns said in a note.

On the local front, traders and analysts said the latest purchasing managers index report due out at 09:15 would give the latest clue on the state of the domestic economy, although its market impact would likely be muted.


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.08
+0.7%
Rand - Pound
23.80
+0.6%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.8%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.38
+0.9%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.8%
Platinum
909.00
-0.4%
Palladium
987.50
-1.7%
Gold
2,320.48
+0.2%
Silver
27.23
+0.2%
Brent Crude
88.02
-0.5%
Top 40
68,092
-0.7%
All Share
74,039
-0.6%
Resource 10
61,188
+1.2%
Industrial 25
102,423
-1.5%
Financial 15
15,787
-0.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders