South African Markets - Factors to watch on Oct 19

JOHANNESBURG Oct 19 (Reuters) - The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect South African markets on Monday.

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GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian shares pulled further away from 14-month peaks on Monday after disappointing earnings from U.S. corporate bellwethers such as General Electric Co (GE.N) spurred some investors to take profits.

The benchmark MSCI index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS slipped 0.6 percent, tracking a 0.8 percent drop in the S&P 500 .SPX on Friday, but was not far from its 14-month peak hit on Thursday. [ID:nLJ700250]

SOUTH AFRICAN MARKETS

South Africa's blue-chip stocks ended down on Friday, snapping four days of gains, with platinum counters sliding on a lower price, but Old Mutual continued a rally on news it would buy out Mutual & Federal.

The JSE Top-40 index .JTOPI lost 0.75 percent to 23,345.58 points, while the broader All-Share index .JALSH shed 0.71 percent to 25,997.65 points. [ID:nLG424548]

DE BEERS

Demand for diamonds has started to stabilise, Sheila Khama, chief executive of De Beers in Botswana, told the Financial Times newspaper, adding that the company's flagship mines were operating at 80 percent of capacity. [ID:nLI603070]

FIRST URANIUM (FUMJ.J) (FIU.TO)

Canada's First Uranium (FIU.TO) (FUMJ.J) is on track to meet its gold and uranium output targets from its operations in South Africa and ramp up to full potential around 2015, its chief executive said.[ID:nLG259613]

BIDVEST (BVTJ.J)

South Africa's Bidvest (BVTJ.J) expects its UK business to return modest profit this fiscal year, helped by a revamp of the unit and Britain's recovery from a recession, it said on Friday. [ID:nLG233433]

BOTSWANA

Botswana's President Ian Khama secured a new five-year term on Sunday, extending his rule over the world's largest diamond producer, after his governing BDP party swept to victory in a parliamentary election. [ID:nLI601828]

GOLD XAU=

Gold was little changed around $1,050 per ounce on Monday, pressured by a firmer dollar, as the precious metal took a breather and consolidated gains from last week's fast paced climb to historic levels. [GOL/]

WALL STREET

U.S. stocks fell on Friday after disappointing results from General Electric Co (GE.N) and Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) demonstrated the road to economic recovery will be bumpy.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI fell 67.03 points, or 0.67 percent, to 9,995.91. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX lost 8.88 points, or 0.81 percent, to 1,087.68. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC gave up 16.49 points, or 0.76 percent, at 2,156.80. [.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

- IDC help for firms battling recession could top 12 billion rand ($1.65 billion)

- Coega "factored in" smelter's scrapping

- Group Five (GRFJ.J) sees strength in diversity

BUSINESS REPORT

- Competition Commission targets cellular operators

- Motorists will have to fork out for new carbon dioxide tax (Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng)