South African Markets - Factors to watch on March 3

The following scheduled economic events, company announcements, equity and currency market moves may affect South African markets on Monday.ECONOMIC EVENTSSouth African Treasury bill auctionForeigners' trading in South African bonds and equitiesAbsa manufacturing sector PMI surveyCOMPANIESAspen Pharmacare reports half-year resultsSouth Africa's RCL Foods reports 38.8% rise in half-year earningsSOUTH AFRICAN MARKETSSouth Africa's rand was little changed on Friday, after the release of a key U.S. inflation reading and a flurry of local economic data.On the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the blue-chip Top-40 index last traded about 1.1% lower. GLOBAL MARKETSAsian share markets made guarded gains on Monday as investors waited anxiously to see if imminent tariffs would go ahead, while bitcoin surged on news it would be included in a new U.S. strategic reserve of cryptocurrencies. WALL STREETWall Street ended higher on Friday after a choppy trading session, with Dell Technologies dipping and other tech stocks climbing after a meeting between the U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy ended in disaster.GOLDGold prices rose on Monday, helped by a weaker dollar, while a delay in finding peace in Ukraine and concerns over the U.S. tariff policy fuelled safe-haven demand for the metal. EMERGING MARKETSFor the top emerging markets news, double click on - - - - Some of the main stories out in the South African press:FIN 24- US cuts funding to civil society organisations assisting refugees in SA- Govt to test companies' appetite for rail and ports this month