South African Markets - Factors to watch on Aug 12

JOHANNESBURG Aug 12 (Reuters) - The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect South African markets on Wednesday.

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GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian shares sagged on Wednesday after losses on Wall Street and as investors locked in profits as they waited to hear what the U.S. Federal Reserve would say about prospects for recovery in the world's largest economy.

Shares in Seoul and Tokyo fell while the MSCI index of Asian markets excluding Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS slipped 1 percent, still in retreat from last week's 11-month peak. [ID:nLC396172]

SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICS

South African President Jacob Zuma took a tough line on unions on Tuesday, saying there was no "pandering" to labour after the threat of a strike by workers at state power utility Eskom [ESCJ.UL] appeared to fade. [ID:nLB231586]

SOUTH AFRICAN MARKETS

South African stocks slid on Tuesday, breaking seven days of gains as financials and miners lost ground while the rand shed more than 1 percent as global equities slipped as the appetite for risk waned.

The JSE Top-40 index .JTOPI of blue-chip stocks skidded 1.64 percent to 22,279.94 points, teetering off 10-month highs as investors booked profits after a Monday holiday, while the All-share index .JALSH fell 1.55 percent to 24,681.68 points. [ID:nLB128602]

BHP BILLITON (BILJ.J)

BHP Billiton Ltd/Plc (BHP.AX)(BLT.L), the world's largest miner, reported a 30 percent slide in annual profit excluding writedowns on Wednesday, its first fall in seven years, pummelled by a slump in metals prices and demand. [nBHP]

ANGLO AMERICAN (AGLJ.J)

Miner Anglo American (AAL.L) said on Wednesday it would offer its entire stake in diversified agri-processing group Tongaat-Hulett (TONJ.J). [ID:nWEA5757]

AQUARIUS PLATINUM (AQP.L)

Aquarius Platinum Ltd (AQP.L) (AQP.AX), the world's fourth-biggest producer of platinum, is expected to report its full-year results on Wednesday.

GOLD XAU=

Gold prices steadied at around $950 per ounce on Wednesday, propped up by light short covering ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy statement at the end of a two-day meeting due later in the day.

The firmness of the dollar after stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs numbers late last week put weight on bullion. But recently built-up positions have mostly been squared off, with investors bracing for the Fed's assessment of the economy.

For the latest precious metals report, double click on [GOL/]

WALL STREET

U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday after a prominent banking analyst warned the sector's fundamentals have yet to improve, and an unexpectedly large drop in wholesale inventories raised worries about an economic recovery.

Financial stocks, which had gained about 25 percent in the last month, tumbled after Rochdale Securities analyst Richard Bove painted a gloomy outlook for the banking industry. He said bank stocks are trading on "fumes," and he expects a short-term pull-back in their stock prices. For details, see [ID:nBNG503348].

For the New York stock market report, double click on [.N]

EMERGING MARKETS

For the top emerging markets news, double click on [nTOPEMRG]

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Some of the main stories out of the South African press:

BUSINESS DAY

- Democratic Alliance party rails at Gauteng province's 600 million rand motorsport deal "waste"

- More pain as factory slowdown persists

- Group Five (GRFJ.J) points to sector's survival

BUSINESS REPORT

- Power shortages threaten as Eskom [ESCJ.UL] puts five projects on ice

- No wage victory for unions, think tank reveals

- Sony buys rights to Michael Jackson's final footage

THE STAR

- Seven days, seven mall robberies in Gauteng province

- Top ANC official urges debtae on race

- 600 million rand motorsport deals questioned (Reporting by Serena Chaudhry)