Rand little changed in thin trade

The rand was little changed in thin trade early on Thursday, ahead of the lull in trading sessions that affects the week between Christmas and New Year.

At 0717 GMT, the rand traded at R18.33 against the dollar.

On the stock market, the Top 40 and the broader all-share indices were about 0.3% lower in early trade.

There are no major economic events scheduled in South Africa this week and the focus will turn towards US inflation figures on Friday.

South Africa’s benchmark 2030 government bond was weaker in early deals, the yield up 3.5 basis points to 9.725%.