South African rand takes a breather after two weeks of gains
Updates prices to reflect afternoon trade, adds analyst quote in paragraph 6
JOHANNESBURG, Sept 30 (Reuters) -The South African rand slipped on Monday as it took a breather after two weeks of gains following an improvement in investor sentiment towards the currency.
At 1527 GMT, the rand traded at 17.25 against the dollar ZAR=D3, about 0.8% weaker than its closing level on Friday.
An 50 basis point interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve earlier this month, followed by a 25 basis point cut by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) helped the rand hit repeated 20-month highs against the greenback last week.
Improving domestic economic activity coupled with a surprisingly stable coalition government formed over 100 days ago has also boosted the currency, analysts said.
The risk-sensitive rand could take direction from a slew of local and U.S. economic data releases this week.
"R17.00/USD is a major resistance level... (the rand) will likely require further momentum to convincingly pierce it, driven either by positive data outcomes, or further US interest rate cut surprises, or both," said Annabel Bishop, chief economist at Investec.
Key U.S. releases include job openings data on Tuesday and Friday's employment report for September.
SARB data on Monday showed a pickup in August private sector credit growth to 4.95% year-on-year ZACRED=ECI, a positive sign which may help Africa's most industrialised economy build momentum in the second half of the year.
South Africa recorded a trade surplus of 5.63 billion rand ($327.70 million) and budget deficit of 19.40 billion rand in August, figures released by the revenue service and National Treasury, respectively, showed.
On the stock market, the Top-40 .JTOPI index closed 1.26% lower.
The benchmark 2030 government bond ZAR2030= was weaker, with the yield up 4.5 basis points at 8.845%.
Reporting by Alexander Winning and Bhargav Acharya, editing by Ed Osmond
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