Rand weaker ahead of inflation data

Johannesburg - The rand weakened against the dollar early on Wednesday ahead of inflation data that could persuade the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to lift interest rates this week.

By 08:00 the rand had slipped 0.24% to R12.3560/$, with a pause in the recent commodity rout not enough to give the local unit a sustained lift.

READ: CPI could hit 6% by 2016 - inflation expert

The rand clawed to a one-week high of 12.3230 late in Tuesday's session before sliding weaker along with fellow emerging market currencies.

Consumer prices are expected to have ticked up when the national statistics agency publishes June figures at 10:00, bolstering the case for a rate hike by SARB on Thursday.

"The SARB will likely be cognisant of the fine balance between high inflation and low growth," analysts at Nedbank said in a note to clients.

The possibility remained the SARB could hold rates until monetary tightening begins in the US Federal Reserve, likely in September, analysts say.

Yields on government bonds edged lower in early trade, with the benchmark issue due in 2026 down 0.05 basis points to 8.15%.

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