South African Stocks Slump Before Rates Decision
South African Stocks Slump Before Rates Decision
(Bloomberg) -- South Africa’s main stock benchmark retreated for a third day Thursday, falling 1.6% by 9:35 a.m. in Johannesburg, the biggest intraday decline in two weeks. Tech investor giant Naspers Ltd. led the losses after a tech selloff in the U.S. and Asia overnight, while miners were weaker after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell highlighted uncertainty about the economic rebound.
The risk-off sentiment overshadowed optimism spurred by a further easing of coronavirus restrictions in South Africa announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday evening.
- NOTE: Fed Sees Rates Near Zero Through 2023 to Boost Jobs, Prices
- NOTE: South Africa to Move to Alert Level 1 Next Week: Ramaphosa
Investor focus will be on the outcome of the South African Reserve Bank’s monetary policy committee meeting later Thursday. Nine of the 17 economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect the SARB to cut the repo rate by 25bps to 3.25%, while eight see rates on hold.
- NOTE: South Africa Rates Call May Hang on Central Bank GDP View: Chart
- Naspers retreats for a second day, down 2.4% to the lowest in more than a week as tech stocks tumble, dragging Tencent Holdings Ltd. lower in Hong Kong. Naspers holds a 31% stake in Tencent.
- Luxury retail market heavyweight Richemont falls for a third day as Bernstein says swiss watch exports still “very spiky”
- Falling iron ore prices drag diversified miners BHP Group Plc and Anglo American Plc lower, pulling the gauge of mining stocks down 2.5% in biggest intraday decline in two weeks
- NOTE: Iron Ore’s Rally Is Running Out of Steam as Supply Anxiety Eases
- BHP -2.4%, Anglo American -1.3%, AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. -3%, Gold Fields Ltd. -2.9%, Sibanye Stillwater Ltd. -4.3%, Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. -3.7%, Anglo American Platinum Ltd. -3.3%
- Index of bank stocks retreats as the rand falls for the first day in five
- NOTE: Rand Snaps Gains Ahead of SARB Rates Decision: Inside S. Africa
- FirstRand Ltd -1.2%, Standard Bank Group Ltd. -1.3%, Absa Group Ltd. -2.3%, Capitec Bank Holdings Ltd. -1.4%, Nedbank Group Ltd. -1.1%, Investec Plc -1%
- Woolworths Holdings Ltd. -2.3% after company reports full-year earnings
- NOTE: Woolworths Food Growth Fails to Offset Sluggish Fashion Sales
- Foreign investors were net buyers of South African stocks Wednesday, purchasing 641 million rand worth of shares, according to bourse operator JSE Ltd.
NEWS:
- South Africa to Fight Graft, Boost Mining in Recovery Plan
- South African Banks Prepare for the Worst, Hope It Doesn’t Come
- Black-Owned South African Fund Managers Increase Assets by 15%
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.