Events that moved the market 2018

The 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.

The US announces a 30 and more on residential washing machines.

A 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.

Cyril Ramaphosa becomes the fifth democratic president of the Republic of South Africa.

Minister Gigaba announces an increase in VAT to 15%. Treasury also re-affirms its intent to stabilise South Africa’s debt ratio.

The 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.

Naspers 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.

The monetary policy committee of the SA Reserve Bank cuts interest rates by 0.25 and the prime lending rate 10%.

The BER Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) rises to a record high of +26 index points.

The pound plunges as Britain's GDP grows by just 0.1 in the preceding quarter.

SA mining output contracts the most in two years, shrinking 8.4 and gold production down 18%.

Eurozone inflation hits the fastest pace in more than a year, rising to 1.9 in April.

The Federal Reserve raises its benchmark interest rate to a range between 1.75 percent and 2 percent.

The National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill is published in the Government Gazette, paving the way for government’s ambitions to introduce universal healthcare to all South Africans.

The Turkish Lira drops almost 6% in one week on comments by President Erdogan that he plans an ‘operation’ against Moody’s as it reviews Turkey’s credit rating. Other emerging market currencies, such as the Rand, are punished alongside the Lira.

Tencent releases its first profit drop in at least a decade, reflected by a market value loss of more than $160 billion since its January peak. One of the reasons for the decline in profit has been the freeze on game approvals in China.

The US economy grows at a slightly faster pace than previously estimated on revisions to imports and software spending, bolstering the strongest period of growth since 2014.

Argentina raises interest rates to 60 of its value in the preceding week. Inflation is above 30%.

SA enters its first technical recession in 9 years, with agriculture the main driver behind the decline.

The S&P 500 Index soars to a record close - led by the technology, health-care and financial sectors.

The Fed raises the federal funds rate to the 2-2.25% range and indicates that one more hike is in store for 2018; three for 2019.