Investors wait on results from Federal Reserve meeting

Johanesburg-South Africa (Dec 18)  On Tuesday gains in financial shares supported a 1.40% rise in the JSE All Share.

The rand was exchanging at R10.29 to the US dollar and R16.76 to the British pound. The rand could be under pressure from the plans to taper the Federal Reserve’s stilmulus measures.

Gold cost $1237.40 an ounce at noon, sliding 0.23%. Platinum was selling at $1359.50 an ounce, and silver cost $19.94 an ounce.

International markets

Yesterday, the Dow Jones moved up 0.82% while the S&P 500 rose 0.63% and the Nasdaq gained 0.71%

Japan’s Nikkei average ended 0.83% higher by its close this morning. China’s Shanghai index gave up 0.45%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng finished 0.2% down.

On European markets, the German DAX had fallen 0.46% by noon SA time, while the French CAC40 had lost 1% and the English FTSE 100 had slipped 0.51%. European markets are lower as investors are waiting on the results of the Federal Reserve meeting today.