The Rand has strung together another good week, despite some huge volatility... More relief for importers and consumers, with the hopes of cheaper goods and fuel. It was a see-saw week, with trade wars, positive news and negatives news... ...plenty enough to keep everyone on their toes. While we could have asked for a little…
Relief for consumers, relief for importers - the Rand finally had a solid week. The amount of volatility being experienced is still less than ideal, but when it is driving the Rand stronger, few are going to be complaining. While it benefits exporters, it is making making imports more expensive and driving up fuel, food…
It did not take the Rand long to return back to its bad old ways... After such a good close out of last week, we saw everything come crumbling down once again, bring the USDZAR back to breaking point, testing R14 to the Dollar. So, back to square one. The Rand does not seem to…
What a week! Another one. Huge volatility? Check Massive losses from the word go? Check Ending the week on a low note? No. Not this time round. The saving grace for the local currency was its turnaround on Wednesday. The midweek hump ending up being the turning point for the ZAR, and about time too.…
Is this becoming the new norm for the Rand? It is hard to believe just a few months ago it was week after week of strengthening for the local currency, coming out of the December rush. The change of sentiment has been so stark, from the euphoria & positive emotion flooding into the market up…
We keep saying it, but 2018 has been a harsh bump back to reality for everyone who is affected by the Rand... ...2017 was quiet, and the start to 2018 even quieter. And then, from February, everything has just gone a little pear-shaped, and continually more so. Let's be honest - this was a shocking…
Yet another topsy-turvy week from the Rand... ...and who would have expected anything different with global instability seemingly ever increasing. The EU has not been a stable place since Brexit first hit some years ago, and it seems to just be an endless rollercoaster of events in that area. This week: Italy. It seems South…
Well, what do we learn time and time again with currency markets? When things are getting to an extreme, and there is panic setting in, with the overall feeling being that the current trend is going to just keep going... ...and economists are naming anything and everything to justify these moves ...and it seems we…
Phew, what a week! There is certainly a reason that the Rand has got the nametag of the world's most volatile currency - with swings high and low making it a nightmare for most who deal in foreign exchange. This week was no different. We saw big highs and lows, with not much time in…
Wow, what a week! There is certainly a reason that the Rand has got the nametag of the world's most volatile currency - with swings high and low making it a nightmare for most who deal in foreign exchange. This week was no different. We saw big highs and lows, with not much time in…
Another volatile week. Another rough one for the Rand particularly versus the Dollar, although it managed to claw back some lost ground before the week closed. As we headed into the week, many had hopes that the Rand had overshot the mark by weakening so drastically versus the Dollar, and that this week would be…
The unthinkable happened, as a battered and bruised ZAR managed to dragged itself over the line to end off a rather disastrous week... We had given a hint in last week's Rand Review that the Rand's excursion below 12.00 had come to an end - and that we were in for a rough ride. But…
A week of action transpired in South Africa, as Ramaphosa set about making plans for the next generation of business, infrastructure, and more. All of which require one major thing, which is often the stumbling block: Funding from investors Being an emerging country and market, it is higher risk for investors. But with the potential…
Global tensions have continued to simmer this past week, reaching near boiling point...and then some after the week closed... A horrific chemical attack in Syria sparked it all off. Followed by tough language from the USA, pointing figures very clearly at Russia & Assad, the Syrian dictator. Russia claiming no wrong doing - blaming rebel…
It has been brewing since Trump's election. Trade war is always feared. It's messy, souring for international relations and potentially destructive to countries caught in the middle of it. Worst of all, all it needs is a spark to start it. And Trump's 'America First' strategy was always going to result in something along these…
Slightly belated, our Rand Review has arrived. I hope you all had an enjoyable and relaxing long weekend, and are ready for the short week ahead :) We are back again to set you up with some diagnosis of the previous week, and provide some idea of what is coming in the next few days...…
This last week turned out to be a great comeback for the Rand, on the back of a very poor start to it! When we saw the market touch over R12.10 in the first half of the week, many were calling for it to go higher. But, contrary to natural logic, with fears of the…
A slow week for the markets, as we saw them tracking sideways for the most part. The Rand held fairly strongly for the whole week...until Thursday/Friday, when we saw the market lose ground to test the physiological R12/$ mark... For cryptocurrencies, it was nothing short of a bloodbath, as all major markets continued to tumble.…
Another week of uncertainty passes for the Rand... It has been such an extended period of strength for the ZAR, that persons might have forgotten that these trends don't last forever - and when they do, most are caught by surprise. And the way the charts are looking - they may not have long to…
It has been an extended period of positive sentiment in economic, political and financial terms for SA... ...but the the supposed 'Ramaphosa Effect' finally ran out of steam, and we were back to reality this week. It is incredible how BIG events happen at critical junctures for the Rand, time and time again. And that…
