The Markets | - Part 202

Volatile Pound Stokes Life Into Emerging-Market Carry Trades

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – There’s life in the great emerging-market carry trade yet, although now it comes with a twist. Investors are betting a trade that reaped returns of more than 20 percent last year for borrowing dollars to buy Brazil’s real, Russia’s ruble and South Africa’s rand has further to run — only they’re using the battered British pound to fund long positions in emerging-market currencies. Citigroup Inc. on Monday named shorting the pound against the Russian…

South Africa Inflation at 10-Month High as Food Costs Surge

Posted on by The Editorial Team

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South African consumer-price growth quickened in December as food costs surged, complicating the central bank’s task less than a week before it will decide on borrowing costs. Inflation accelerated to a 10-month high of 6.8 percent from 6.6 percent in November, Statistics South Africa said in a report released Wednesday in the capital, Pretoria. The median estimate of 24 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for inflation of 6.5 percent. Prices rose 0.4 percent in…

Brexit, Trump worries push gold to highest in almost 8 weeks

Posted on by The Editorial Team

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – Gold jumped more than 1 percent to its highest in nearly eight weeks on Tuesday, as excerpts of a speech to be given later by Britain’s prime minister pointed to a definitive exit from the European Union. Safe-haven assets such as gold, the Japanese yen and U.S. Treasuries benefited as investors sought refuge from the uncertainty of what a “hard Brexit” would mean for global markets. Spot gold rose 1.1…

Egypt fixes customs dollar exchange rate to help importers

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CAIRO (Capital Markets in Africa) – Egypt will fix its customs dollar exchange rate and adjust it on a monthly basis to help importers better cope with a pricing of their products after the central bank floated its currency in November. The Finance Ministry fixed the customs exchange rate at 18.5 pounds per dollar until the end of February and said it will review the rate each month, state news agency MENA reported late on Monday….

Uganda Growth Seen Accelerating to 5.5% on Oil-Industry Spending

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KAMPALA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Growth in Uganda may accelerate to 5.5 percent next fiscal year, helped by increased spending on the oil industry, the Finance Ministry said. The growth rate may increase from a projected 5 percent in the current fiscal year and may reach 6 percent in 2018-19, the ministry said in the National Budget Framework Paper e-mailed to reporters on Monday in the capital, Kampala, by the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group. Amos…

Mozambique to Miss Coupon Payment on Eurobond, Ministry Says

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MAPUTO (Capital Markets in Africa) – Mozambique will miss an interest payment on dollar bonds this week because of its deteriorating fiscal position. The government’s capacity to make debt payments is “extremely limited in 2017, and does not allow the republic room to make the scheduled interest payment on the notes,” the Ministry of Economy and Finance said in an e-mailed statement on Monday. Mozambique is in talks with the International Monetary Fund about resuming…

Acacia Jumps in London on Talks for $4 Billion Endeavour Merger

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Acacia Mining Plc jumped in London trading after the gold miner confirmed it is in early-stage talks with rival Africa-focused producer Endeavour Mining Corp. about a possible merger of the two companies which have a combined value of about $4 billion. Acacia, which mines the precious metal in Tanzania, jumped as much as 7.7 percent to the highest since November 21. The stock traded at 435.1 pence a share at…

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