Rand weakens after SA’s Budget, while early US interest rate cut pushed back

Loading player...
The rand weakened by just over 2% after SA’s National Budget, reacting to the decision to access R150 billion of the Gold and Foreign Exchange Credit Reserve Account (GFECRA). The main reason was that government failed to stipulate how debt would be controlled in future or give assurances that the funds would not be squandered. Meanwhile, hopes of an early US interest rate cut have ebbed, due to still-high inflation data and a strong labour market. In fact, there is even a possibility of another interest rate hike.
26 Feb 2024 English South Africa Investing · Business News

Other recent episodes

US jobs data shows an economy under pressure

In this podcast, STANLIB’s Chief Economist, Kevin Lings, explores a wide range of data on the US labour market. The statistics show that, as a result of President Trump’s tariff policies, jobs are being lost and the economy is under pressure. In response, the US Federal Reserve is expected to…
8 Sep 8 min

Positive SA government revenue and expenditure data

In this podcast, STANLIB’s Chief Economist, Kevin Lings, talks about revenue and expenditure data for July, with revenue holding up well and expenditure slightly behind budget. He also discusses concerns that the US’s 30% tariff could hurt SA’s export performance. Click here to listen to the podcast. STANLIB Asset Management…
1 Sep 11 min

Corporate Conversations: The power of money market instruments

South Africa’s money market industry is well-developed and globally competitive, with active trading in instruments like floating rate notes linked to local benchmarks such as JIBAR. Although floating rate notes are common in markets such as the US and UK, South Africa’s market exhibits distinct structural features and investor preferences…
27 Aug 9 min

US signals change in emphasis on interest rate policy

In this podcast, STANLIB Chief Economist, Kevin Lings, talks about Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s recent address at the Jackson Hole Symposium, where he indicates a notable shift in the Fed’s policy emphasis from managing inflation risks to addressing emerging weaknesses in the US labour market. This could signal the…
25 Aug 13 min