JSE tracks global markets lower

Johannesburg - World markets, including the JSE, were lower on Thursday as US investors ran for the sidelines on Wednesday afternoon due to bad economic data and increased tension in the Middle East.

It seems that the rules of the game have changed somewhat since last week’s meeting of the US Federal Reserve which finally laid to rest fears that US interest rates would rise sooner rather than later, pushing the rampant dollar down.

The trigger for Wall Street's fall on Wednesday, and world markets on Thursday, was a government report showing a drop in durable goods orders which pushed the dollar lower.