South African Markets - Factors to watch on Oct 13

JOHANNESBURG Oct 13 (Reuters) - The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect South African markets on Tuesday.

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GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian stocks edged up to a 14-month high, while the U.S. dollar steadied on Tuesday, with some investors taking bets that third-quarter U.S. corporate earnings, expected to shrink for the ninth quarter, will be good enough to keep a rally going.

The MSCI index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS rose 0.6 percent in choppy trading to the highest since August 12. The energy and financial sectors outperformed, while IT and consumer discretionary underperformed. [ID:nL23369674]

SOUTH AFRICAN MARKETS

South African stocks rose on Monday, boosted by higher global markets and with telecoms group Telkom jumping on reports the government plans to force down the interconnect costs charged by cell phone operators.

The rand rallied, flirting with a 14-month high against the dollar, as the greenback slipped and metal prices gained. The JSE Top-40 index of blue chips .JTOPI added 0.92 percent to 22,936.15 points, also buoyed by above-forecast corporate earnings that lifted investor sentiment globally and the strong metal prices that bolstered miners. [ID:nLC423220]

SOUTH AFRICAN FARMERS

South Africa's biggest farmers union Agri SA on Monday urged the country's government to ensure a planned investment protection agreement with Zimbabwe includes a clause to protect land and property rights.

South Africa and Zimbabwe have for several years been in talks over a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement that would pave way for South African investment in Zimbabwe and, among other things, protect the properties of South African nationals in the country's northern neighbour. [ID:nLC391157]

ESKOM [ESCJ.UL]

Solar energy is South Africa's single biggest renewable resource and the only one likely to have a significant impact on the country's electricity supply, an official at power utility Eskom said on Monday. [ID:nLC284605]

GROWTHPOINT (GRTJ.J)

Growthpoint, South Africa's largest listed property firm, expects rising costs and vacancies to cut profit margins in its home market, and is seeking growth in Australia, its chief executive said on Monday.

Norbert Sasse said he plans to triple the market value of unit Growthpoint Properties Australia (GOZ.AX) to A$1 billion ($903 million) through distressed acquisitions. The unit, bought in May, was previously named Orchard Industrial Property Fund. [ID:nSYD517462]

JSE (JSEJ.J)

Mauritius Commercial Bank <MCBL.MZ) (MCB), the largest bank by assets in East Africa and the Indian Ocean region, has denied that it is considering a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. [ID:nLC378677]

SENTULA (SNUJ.J)

Sentula Mining said on Monday it had accepted a conditional offer from a consortium of two firms for its 49.9 percent stake in the Koornfonetin coal mine, pushing its shares up 16.5 percent. [ID:nLC129224]

SOUTH AFRICAN COAL MINING (SAHJ.J)

South Africa's Shanduka Coal has bought 500,000 tonnes of export capacity at Richards Bay Coal Terminal from South African Coal Mining Holdings Ltd (SACMH), a source close to the deal said.

The source would not disclose the price for the deal but trading companies and miners who have sought to buy export allocations during the past several months have been quoted prices of $20.00 per tonne. [ID:nLC368517]

GOLD XAU=

Gold fell slightly on Tuesday as investors locked in profits a day after the precious metal tested an all-time high above $1,060 an ounce.

Spot gold XAU= was at $1,054.50 per ounce at 0251 GMT, down 0.1 percent from New York's notional close of $1,055.25. It rose as high as $1,058.75 on Monday, near the record of $1,061.20 set on Oct. 8. [GOL/]

WALL STREET

The S&P 500 managed a sixth consecutive day of gains on Monday to end at its closing high for the year as energy shares rose alongside the price of oil.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI added 20.86 points, or 0.21 percent, to 9,885.80. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX gained 4.70 points, or 0.44 percent, to 1,076.19. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was off 0.14 point, or 0.01 percent, to 2,139.14. [.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

- Sasol (SOLJ.J) in fear of U.S backlash for Iran business

- South Africa will follow global curbs on bankers' pay - Finance Minister

- COSATU "smilling" as African National Congress and allies meet to mend cracks

BUSINESS REPORT

- Informal jobs "trap people in poverty"

- Retrechments devour trade union memberships

- Eskom seeks equity partner for demo solar plant

THE STAR

- Revver Trevor Manuel splashes 1.1 million rand on bling (Reporting by Gugulakhe Lourie)