SA budget speech and CPI in focusThe rand posted gains for the second consecutive week last week off the back of broad based dollar weakness which allowed the local unit to hold the pair below the 50-day MA rate of 18.48. The dollar weakness came as a surprise last week given the higher than expected US CPI print of 3.3%, for the fourth consecutive month, coupled with Powell’s hawkish tone at his testimony before congress.
There are no major data prints his week so focus will shift to the local side of things with the SA annual budget speech and the local CPI numbers for the month of January in focus.
CPI in SA is currently well below the SARB’s midpoint target of 4.5% after the December CPI came in at 3.0%, up from 2.9% in November which has many calling for a more accommodative monetary policy stance from the SARB. The SA budget side of things are also positive with treasury revenue collections expected to come in higher than initial projections which will allow treasury to issue fewer bonds to the market this calendar year. Both the lower SA inflation environment and improved revenue collection will provide some support for the rand in the current turbulence of the dollar. I will update this idea with more detail on the SA budget after the budget speech.
For this week the key support level to watch is 18.30 while the key resistance is the 50-day MA of 18.48. A break below 18.30 will see the rand pull the pair out of the current upward channel and towards the 200-day MA support of 18.11. A break below 18.11 will invalidate all my previous ideas calling for a move to 19.35. A move towards 18.11 could be a bear trap which is why I’m moving my invalidation rate from 18.30 to 18.11.