South Africa's rand rallies with riskier assets on signs of slower coronavirus infection rates

• Stocks were also significantly higher, as yield and value hungry investors kept on the sidelines during recent volatility took advantage of historically low prices to re-enter the market.
• The currency has also managed to weather a policy storm building around a likely bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa's rand firmed by more than 3pc on Tuesday, in line with a broad rally in emerging market currencies and other riskier assets on hopes that steps to contain the coronavirus pandemic were having an effect in some countries.

Stocks were also significantly higher, as yield and value hungry investors kept on the sidelines during recent volatility took advantage of historically low prices to re-enter the market.

At 1300 GMT the rand was 3pc firmer at 18.0800 per dollar, its best level since Thursday having crossed key technical levels at 18.50 and 18.20, signalling the possibility of an extended rally with investors willing to ride out the turbulence.

"At around 19.50 the rand was very oversold. It's fair value is closer to 15.50. Every time the rand has collapsed, which happens a lot, within a year it comes back to fair value," said Wayne McCurrie, portfolio manager at FNB.

The currency extended a rally from the previous session with modest risk appetite, spurred by an apparent slowing in the rate of new COVID-19 cases in the United States and some European countries, attracting investors looking to pocket the currency's high returns, or carry yield.

The currency has also managed to weather a policy storm building around a likely bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"The main reason countries go to the IMF is a balance of payments crisis. But we have very little external, foreign currency debt. So there's no need to go the IMF cap-in-hand. We're a long way from that," McCurrie said.

Bonds firmed, with the yield on benchmark paper down around 0.5pc.

The equities market was also higher, with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange's Top-40 index up 3.5pc to 44,035 points and the All-Share index rising 3.88pc to 48,033 points.

Focus was on banks and financial firms after the central bank late on Monday advised banks not to distribute dividends and put bonuses for senior executives on hold.

The bank index fell in early trade before soaring 10pc, with some traders seeing the cap on payouts, which would typically turn off buyers, as opportunity to buy highly valued bank shares on the cheap.

Nedbank led the march higher, gaining 17pc to 107.25 rand, followed by Absa and Standard Bank, both rising around 12pc.

The National Treasury is considering creating a scheme to encourage bank lending to small businesses and consumers as one response to the coronavirus outbreak, central bank deputy governor Kuben Naidoo told Reuters.