South Africa's rand firmer on positive trade data

South Africa's rand firmed against a weaker dollar in light year-end trade on Friday, helped by data that showed the country swung into a trade surplus in November. At 1500 GMT the rand traded at 14.3975, 0.5 percent stronger than its overnight close in New York.
South Africa's trade deficit swung to 3.49 billion rand ($242.9 million) surplus in November from a revised 4.28 billion rand deficit in October, official data showed on Friday. The dollar index, a gauge of the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, remained on the back foot, down 0.1 percent.
Bonds were stronger, with the yield on the benchmark paper due in 2026 down 3.5 basis points to 8.865 percent. On the bourse, stocks climbed, tracking gains in other emerging markets as investor sentiment was boosted by Wall Street's late rebound the previous session. The benchmark JSE Top-40 index climbed 1.81 percent to 46,483 and the broader All-share index added 1.71 percent to 52,434.