The following scheduled economic events, equity and currency market moves may affect South African markets on Wednesday.

ECONOMIC EVENTS

- South Africa's IHS Markit's Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) due at 0715 GMT.

SOUTH AFRICAN MARKETS

The South African rand fell on Tuesday, hurt by the U.S. dollar striking a five-year high as investors bet the Omicron coronavirus variant would not derail the global economy or delay the Federal Reserve's expected interest rate hikes.

The All-share index (.JALSH) ended up 1.8% at 75,052 points and the blue-chip top 40 companies index (.JTOPI) closed up 2.05% at 68,399 points - mirroring gains made on Wall Street.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian stocks slipped on Wednesday following a mixed Wall Street session as higher U.S. Treasury yields weighed on global tech firms and pushed the dollar to a five-year high against Japan's yen.

WALL STREET

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) reached a record closing high on Tuesday for a second straight day as financial and industrial shares rallied, while the Nasdaq fell.

GOLD

Gold was flat in early Asian trade on Wednesday, as traders weighed prospects of early interest rate increases by the U.S. Federal Reserve against surging COVID-19 infections globally.

EMERGING MARKETS

For the top emerging markets news, double click on

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.