Rand starts the week under pressure

The rand remained above R13 to the dollar on Monday morning, though off its weakest level of R13.29 to the dollar reached on Friday.

The rand was trading at R13.06 to the dollar, R15.41 to the euro and R17.52 to the pound at 7am.

The only JSE-listed company diarised to release results on Monday is financial services group Alexander Forbes.

The pension fund manager and life insurance group warned shareholders on May 31 it expected to report on Monday that its headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the year to end-March declined by up to 19%.

Alexander Forbes said the drop followed its £75.4m disposal of its 60% stake in Lane Clark and Peacock.

It also sold 10% of its operations in Africa outside SA to African Rainbow Capital.

Basic earnings per share would fall by as much as 86% because the 2017 financial year results were bolstered by the profits from the disposals, the trading statement said.

The results will include a R317m impairment of AF Life.

Asian markets were generally buoyant ahead of the JSE’s opening on Monday.

In Hong Kong, Tencent was 0.92% higher at HK$418.80, indicating its 31%-owner Naspers should regain some of Friday’s 2.4% loss.

Source: businesslive.co.za