Can you believe it? Zuma dodged the bullet again. And the poor Rand just so happened to be standing right behind him, and was left no option but to take the hit. Another week which started off well, with Speaker Mbete giving Parliament a chance with the Secret Ballot... ...only for the tables to turn…
While many were holding thumbs that the ZAR's continued period of strength and stability would someone manage to keep going, it seemed the honeymoon was over as the week got underway from a healthy R12.88... ...and proceeded to rush to R13.48 within just a few days! A sharp turnaround, and not one South Africans wanted…
The Rand has been bootstrapping it for a bit too long... And all too soon, it seemed its luck has run out. And then there was a comeback. And then it lost it all again. This week had it all, as the Rand was thrown up and down as if it were a child's ragdoll…
This last week was nothing short of confusing for most. After the comeback of the ZAR during the previous week, many had high hopes that this week would have more of the same action. But certainly was not to be... ...as the Rand held more stable than we have possibly ever seen, the full 5…
While it has felt feels like the tide is dragging a seemingly helpless ZAR out to sea... ...the market just keeps on fighting back! With no rationall explanation, the Rand strengthened nearly 50c in less than 2 days. Why? Economists bumbled around for answers...while secretly thinking: "How could this be? What is happening?" It was…
The market did not react how persons hoped it would this week, as it sent shockwaves through the financial world... ..."where to from here?" was the question as it spiked closer to R13.50/$ on Wednesday. The Rand had lost over 3% of its value in just a few days. Who would have expected things to…
Well, that was quite a week... Things looked pretty rosy to start. And then ended not quite on the same score. Such swings of 'fortune' are what brings the level of volatility we have come to expect over the past few years from the USDZAR. We need to reanalyze our figures to bring them up…
What did we say last week? We thought perhaps we would have a quiet week ahead of us with a lack of economic events, but concluded with this: "But no. That is most probably asking too much. The Rand can create its own triggers. Or the politicians do it. " And what do you know...…
A week which was looking so good... Steady, smooth, and almost calm strengthening of the market from Monday morning through Wednesday... ...only for Wednesday and Thursday to turned things on their head! The Fed hiked the interest rate. And the Rand reacted accordingly. What had been a good week, suddenly turned into an action-packed show.…
Isn’t it amazing, how time and again, when the news is about the worst it can get, that the Rand pulls a fast one against everyone’s expectation. Will anyone forget the last week of March this year when, after days of rumours, Zuma decided it was time to throw all caution (and what was left…
It's been a crazy couple of weeks for the ZAR, both on the home front and abroad. Events, scandals, surprises and shocks have come thick and fast...(and they aren't showing any sign of stopping just yet) People have been expecting drastic market moves...but they haven't come...? ...despite SA GDP Q1 figures showing we are in…
It is difficult to put this week into a few words... The market was at its undecided worst, as it fought against news, economic events all week long, leaving everyone with rather a choppy mess. ...Zuma's ousting was bungled. ...Trump made his big call on exiting the Climate Deal. ...Moody's kept SA Credit Rating steady…
A week built up on anticipation of big action over the weekend... ...with the Rand benefiting handsomely from the expectations. When it looked like the market had finally run out of gas, it gained a second wind, which sent it well below R13/$! Mostly put down to the chances of a President Zuma removal in…
What a chaotic week for the Rand, as it was thrown from side to side, upside down and the right way up! A week of events, mostly outside of the country of South Africa, seemed to have an awful effect on any stability the Rand has managed to cobble together over the past while. But…
When the Rand crashed its way up to R13.71 on Tuesday last week, alarm bells were already going off... After a volatile period, it looked like the Rand had finally cracked. Now, R14 and above was on the cards. Or was it? Our forecast from Monday had said otherwise... ...but the feeling around the general…
Choppy, undecided, unsettling and dangerous... A rather unsettling week sure did not help settle any investors nerves, as we saw no stability in the markets once again. It was a week packed with events... ...from interest rate decisions to Obamacare repeal ...to US Trade Balance & Jobs data and to Non-Farm Payrolls And as always,…
A week which started so well... ...and then back to usual business once again. How many more times are we going to have this It was a week of events - French Election, Zimbabwe's decision not to use the Rand as their currency, Trump's tax plan and more. But with the market sitting pretty at…
A calm surface...but turmoil underneath. The gains of the Rand over the last week are a welcome relief to many who had seen their wealth getting sliced into smaller and smaller pieces as if it were a pork sausage. So a welcome relief. But not a problem solver. Despite the Rand's gains, it does not…
Sentiment reaches an extreme...and then the tables turn. As per popular belief, the Rand went rushing onwards in the first half of this week. It weakened significantly, moving into the R13.90s at one stage... This was on the back of another downgrade - this time from Fitch ratings agency - late on Friday afternoon. Throughout…
#JunkStatus, Downgrades, Protests, #ZumaMustFall, and more… ....just another week of South African politics and economics. There was no lack of action this week, and the retaliation from Zuma’s actions reached a record high, with protests & demonstrations threatening his position. His firing of finance minister Gordhan, and the cabinet reshuffle has sent South Africa -…
