Wall Street ended barely changed on Monday as investors digested the latest large-scale corporate mergers as well as the most recent twist in a tumultuous US presidential election. The Dow Jones fell 0.1%, the S&P 500 lost 0.01% and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.02%.

European equities fell for a sixth straight session on Monday, with energy shares tracking weaker crude oil prices and financial stocks losing ground. Europe's STOXX 600 fell 0.5%.

Stocks in China and Hong Kong rose on Tuesday morning after an official survey showed the country's manufacturing sector expanded at a faster pace than expected in October. The Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.33% and the Hang Seng index ended the morning up 1.14%.

Japanese stocks fell on Tuesday morning as disappointing earnings forecasts from some bellwether companies dented sentiment, and as investors were cautious ahead of the outcome of the Bank Of Japan's two-day policy meeting. The benchmark Nikkei share average fell 0.5%.

The JSE is likely to rebound on Tuesday judging from Asian markets trading ahead of it. China’s October purchasing managers’ index (PMI) coming in at 51.2 points, beating an expected 50.4 points, sent Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index up 1.14%. NPA director Shaun Abrahams dropping a case claiming a R1.1m pension payout Gordhan approved constituted fraud saw the JSE’s banking index rebound by 3.46% on Monday.

The rand held on to most of the 2.47% gain it made on Monday on hopes SA can avoid junk bond status after what was generally regarded as an attempt to replace prudent Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan with someone more malleable was abandoned. The rand was trading at about R13.48 on Tuesday morning.

Gold prices edged lower on Tuesday amid stronger Asian stocks and a steady US dollar, with investors awaiting cues from a series of upcoming central bank policy meetings and US economic data. Spot gold slipped 0.02% to $1 277.01 per ounce.

Oil prices edged higher from one-month lows in early trading in Asia on Tuesday after OPEC agreed on a long-term strategy that was seen as an indication the cartel was reaching a consensus on managing production. Brent for January delivery, the new front-month contract, was up 29 cents at $48.90 a barrel.

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