Events that moved the market Q1 2018
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8 Jan 2018Source: AFPNew highs for US stocksThe S&P 500 and Nasdaq end at record highs for the fifth straight day.
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15 Jan 2018Source: Bloomberg NewsYuan at 2-year highThe yuan climbs to its strongest level since December 2015 after the People’s Bank of China raises the daily reference rate the most in three months.
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15 Jan 2018Source: ReutersEuro at 3-year highThe euro hits a three-year high to the dollar as economic and investor optimism in the euro zone grows and quantitative tightening is expected soon.
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17 Jan 2018Source: BloombergBitcoin bubble bursting?Bitcoin tumbles below $10 000, a 50% drop from its record-high a month ago.
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22 Jan 2018Source: CNN MoneyTrump launches trade warThe US announces a 30% tariff on imported solar panels, most of which come from China, and taxes of 20% and more on residential washing machines.
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24 Jan 2018Source: Bloomberg NewsUK jobs on the riseThe number of people employed in the United Kingdom rises by 102 000 to a record high.
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30 Jan 2018Source: ViceroyViceroy report on CapitecViceroy, the company that exposed Steinhoff, publishes a report calling Capitec a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and requests for the bank to be placed into curatorship.
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2 Feb 2018Source: AFPGood jobs report trips marketsA strong US jobs report, showing the biggest increase in wages in nine years, stirs fears of a US interest rate hike and starts a global stock market sell-off.
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13 Feb 2018Source: CNNANC recalls ZumaThe NEC of the ANC announces that it has recalled Jacob Zuma as president of the country, setting a 48-hour deadline.
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13 Feb 2018Source: Statistics SASA unemployment downThe SA unemployment rate declines to 26.7% in the fourth quarter of 2017 from 27.7% in the previous two quarters.
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15 Feb 2018Source: SABCRamaphosa takes the reinsCyril Ramaphosa becomes the fifth democratic president of the Republic of South Africa.
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16 Feb 2018Source: Fin24Trump gets tough on steel importsThe US Commerce Department recommends steep tariffs on foreign steel and aluminium ‘in the name of national security’.
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21 Feb 2018Source: National TreasuryFirst VAT hike in 21 yearsMinister Gigaba announces an increase in VAT to 15%. Treasury also re-affirms its intent to stabilise South Africa’s debt ratio.
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22 Feb 2018Source: Bloomberg NewsStocks slide on Fed minutesGlobal stocks stumble in the wake of Fed minutes painting a healthy picture of the world’s biggest economy, raising the prospect of tighter monetary policy.
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26 Feb 2018Source: eNCANene back at the helmNhlanhla Nene’s position as Minister of Finance is restored by President Ramaphosa.
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27 Feb 2018Source: ReutersPowell shakes up marketsThe dollar strengthens after newly appointed Fed Chair Jerome Powell comments that the central bank would stick to gradual rate hikes.
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6 Mar 2018Source: Statistics SASA grows at 1.3%The SA economy grows by 1.3% in 2017, partly driven by agriculture bouncing back from one of the worst droughts in recent history.
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9 Mar 2018Source: ReutersListeriosis linked to Tiger BrandsTiger Brands appoints an expert team to identify the causes of a listeria outbreak that has killed more than 180 people and has been traced to one of its factories.
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14 Mar 2018Source: RMB/BER business confidence indexSA business confidence upSA Business confidence climbs to the highest level since the start of 2015.
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20 Mar 2018Source: Statistics SASA CPI drops furtherSA year-on-year headline consumer inflation is 4.0% in February 2018, down from 4.4% in January.
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21 Mar 2018Source: CNBCFed raises interest ratesThe Fed raises rates for the sixth time since starting off at near-zero in December 2015. The new benchmark target has moved to 1.5%-1.75%.
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22 Mar 2018Source: ReutersNaspers sells stake in TencentNaspers announces that it plans to sell up to 2% of Tencent via an accelerated bookbuild to raise money to fund growth in its e-commerce unit.
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23 Mar 2018Source: Eyewitness NewsMoody's gives SA a chanceMoody’s keeps South Africa’s credit rating at Baa3, one notch above junk status and upgrades the outlook of the economy to stable.
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27 Mar 2018Source: fin24S&P sees more growth for SAS&P raises SA’s GDP growth forecast for 2018 from 1% to 2% - still not enough to address SA's high unemployment rate.
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28 Mar 2018Source: SA Reserve BankRate cut for SAThe monetary policy committee of the SA Reserve Bank cuts interest rates by 0.25%, bringing the repo rate to 6.5% and the prime lending rate 10%.
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