South African Markets - Factors to watch on Oct 16

JOHANNESBURG Oct 16 (Reuters) - The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect South African markets on Friday.

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GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian shares edged higher on Friday with Japanese exporters gaining ground as a resurgent British pound put pressure on the yen, while oil hit a one-year high above $78 on news of a slump in U.S. oil inventories.

The MSCI index of Asia Pacific stocks traded outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS and the Thomson Reuters index of regional shares .TRXFLDAXPU were both up 0.2 percent. [ID:nHKG127079]

SOUTH AFRICAN MARKETS

South Africa's rand hovered close to 14-month highs against the dollar on Thursday, recouping some of its earlier losses, while stocks ended a see-saw session with modest gains led by luxury goods firm Richemont.

The JSE Top-40 index of blue chips .JTOPI finished 0.64 percent higher at 23,521.20 points, its strongest closing level since Sept. 22, 2008, rising for the fourth straight day as an upbeat outlook for luxury goods in China lifted Richemont (CFRJ.J). [ID:nLF714362]

BHP BILLITON (BILJ.J)

Australian iron ore prospector United Minerals Corp UMC.AX has received a A$204 million conditional takeover offer from BHP Billiton (BHP.AX), it said on Friday. The offer is conditional on United dropping a deal to sell an 11.4 percent stake to China Railway Materials Commercial Corp Group (CRM), UMC said in a statement. [ID:nSYU008897]

IMPLATS (IMPJ.J)

Zimbabwe should honour investment agreements to attract fresh capital and retain investors who have continued to operate in the country, Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd (Implats) chief executive David Brown said on Thursday.

The world's second largest platinum producer, Implats has the biggest platinum mining operation in Zimbabwe through its local unit Zimplats (ZIM.AX). [ID:nLF119242]

LONMIN (LONJ.J)

South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Thursday that Lonmin Plc (LMI.L) had rejected its 25 percent wage rise for its members at the platinum producer's operations in South Africa.

NUM said Lonmin, the world's third largest producer of platinum, had instead offered to raise workers' pay by 5 percent and that it was reluctant to improve its offer.[ID:nLF665283]

MTN (MTNJ.J)

South African telecom groups Vodacom (VODJ.J) and MTN Group denied anti-competitive activities after the competition watchdog said it was investigating possible collusion over prices in the industry.

Vodacom, owned by UK-based Vodafone Plc (VOD.L), said in a statement on Thursday it was not involved in any anti-competitive behaviour, while MTN also denied it was engaged in collusive conduct related to interconnections. [ID:nLF500861]

RIO TINTO (RIO.L)

Global miner Rio Tinto (RIO.L)(RIO.AX) scrapped its plan to build an aluminium smelter on the southern coast of South Africa due to power shortages in the country, it said in a statement on Thursday.

Rio Tinto has been delaying the project due to an electricity crisis that brought the country to a halt last year. [ID:nLF682057]

GOLD XAU=

Gold steadied around $1,050 an ounce on Friday after falling more than $10 the previous day as the dollar pared recent losses, prompting the precious metal to consolidate from record highs hit earlier this week.

Spot gold XAU= was at $1,051.60 per ounce at 0322 GMT, up 0.2 percent from New York's notional close of $1,049.85. It hit a record high for two days in a row to reach $1,070.40 on Wednesday. Its low on Thursday was $1,046.20. [GOL/]

WALL STREET

Late-day strength drove U.S. stocks to 2009 highs on Thursday as rising oil prices lifted energy shares, eclipsing the banking sector's retreat after investors panned earnings from Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI added 47.08 points, or 0.47 percent, to end at 10,062.94. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX gained 4.54 points, or 0.42 percent, to 1,096.56. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC edged up 1.06 points, or 0.05 percent, to close at 2,173.29. [.N]

EMERGING MARKETS

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

BOTSWANA ELECTIONS

Voting started on Friday in Botswana's election which is expected to see President Ian Khama remain in power despite rising discontent over the economic state of the world's biggest diamond producer. The southern African nation has been hit by recession as a global slowdown cuts demand for diamonds, which account for close to 40 percent of the economy. [ID:nLG116753]

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

BUSINESS DAY

- Electricity woes sink Coega smelter

- Hint of another overture as Xstrata backs off

- Policy chief warns African National Congress on "meddling"

BUSINESS REPORT

- Airbus deal could cost South Africa 47 billion rand or its credibility

- Xstrata Coal to go ahead with 2.9 billion rand mine project

THE STAR

- Showdown looms over mega aircraft deal

(Reporting by Gugulakhe Lourie)