South African Stock Market Continues Uptrend, Strong ETF Performance
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 23 2026
0mins
Should l Buy AU?
Source: CNBC
- Market Uptrend: South Africa's stock market has been trending steadily higher for nearly two years, brushing aside volatility in the U.S. and elsewhere, primarily driven by strong gold prices, indicating a significant reliance on gold in the market.
- ETF Momentum Recovery: The iShares MSCI South Africa ETF (EZA) has reestablished short-term momentum after a brief shakeout, with a bullish crossover in the daily MACD serving as a positive technical catalyst, suggesting a rebound in investor confidence.
- Technical Indicators Support: EZA is supported by three rising and diverging moving averages on the weekly chart, while a rising MACD histogram on the monthly chart reinforces the long-term uptrend, indicating that the intermediate- and long-term momentum behind South African equities remains healthy.
- Relative Strength Continuation: Since the start of 2025, South Africa's equity market has consistently outperformed the U.S. market, with the ratio of EZA to the S&P 500 trending higher, suggesting that South African equities could extend their relative strength through 2026, warranting investor attention on this trend.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy AU?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on AU
Wall Street analysts forecast AU stock price to rise
5 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 103.520
Low
92.00
Averages
116.20
High
131.00
Current: 103.520
Low
92.00
Averages
116.20
High
131.00
About AU
AngloGold Ashanti plc is a global gold mining company with a diverse portfolio of operations, projects and exploration activities in 10 countries, across four continents. The Company’s diverse portfolio includes approximately 11 operations in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ghana, Guinea and Tanzania. The Company’s portfolio includes Africa, the Americas, and Australia. Its Africa portfolio includes Kibali- managed by Barrick Gold Corporation, Egypt (Sukari), Ghana (Iduapriem and Obuasi), Guinea (Siguiri) and Tanzania (Geita). The Americas hosts three of its operations, one in Argentina and two in Brazil, as well as two greenfield projects in Colombia and a significant new greenfield development in Nevada in the United States. Australia hosts two of its operations, which include Sunrise Dam and Tropicana, both in the north-eastern goldfields in the state of Western Australia.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Oil Price Surge: Crude oil prices soared over 13% as President Trump took a tougher stance on Iran, reaching a 3.5-week high, which not only heightened inflation fears but also pushed bond yields higher, with the 10-year T-note yield rising by 2 basis points to 4.34%.
- Unemployment Claims Drop: Weekly initial unemployment claims unexpectedly fell by 9,000 to 202,000, indicating a stronger labor market than the anticipated increase to 212,000, which could provide support for the stock market amid rising inflation concerns.
- Global Market Decline: Overseas stock markets are lower, with the Euro Stoxx 50 down 2.25%, China's Shanghai Composite down 0.74%, and Japan's Nikkei 225 sharply falling 2.38% from a two-week high, reflecting global economic uncertainty and investor caution.
- Airline Stocks Plummet: Airline stocks are sharply lower as crude oil prices surged over 10%, raising fuel costs; United Airlines and American Airlines Group both fell more than 6%, highlighting the direct impact of rising oil prices on airline profitability.
See More
- Market Rally: The S&P 500 rose by 0.72%, the Dow Jones increased by 0.48%, and the Nasdaq 100 climbed by 1.18%, reflecting growing investor optimism regarding a potential resolution to the Middle East conflict, which has bolstered market confidence.
- Strong Economic Data: The US ADP employment change for March increased by 62,000, surpassing expectations of 40,000, while February retail sales rose by 0.6% month-over-month, indicating robust economic recovery that could influence Federal Reserve policy decisions.
- Interest Rate Expectations: Despite positive economic indicators, hawkish comments from St. Louis Fed President raised concerns about inflation and employment, leading to a mere 1% chance of a 25 basis point rate hike at the upcoming April FOMC meeting, reflecting cautious market sentiment.
- Divergent Stock Performances: Target Hospitality surged over 36% after securing a multi-year contract worth over $550 million, while Nike fell more than 15% due to revenue forecasts indicating a decline, highlighting the market's varied outlook on different companies' futures.
See More
- Share Buyback Program: B2Gold has announced a new buyback program for up to 132.7 million shares, representing about 10% of its outstanding equity, which is expected to further boost stock prices and enhance investor confidence.
- Surge in Trading Volume: The company saw a trading volume of 44.3 million shares, nearly 11% above its three-month average, indicating strong market reaction to its buyback plan and potentially attracting more investor interest.
- Strong Financial Performance: B2Gold reported over $3 billion in annual revenue and projected production guidance of 820,000 to 970,000 ounces by 2026, providing a stable operational outlook that lays the groundwork for future growth.
- Supportive Market Environment: With rising gold prices bolstering B2Gold's profitability, the effectiveness of the buyback program will depend on future gold prices and the pace of repurchases, prompting investors to closely monitor market conditions.
See More
- Market Rally: The S&P 500 Index rose by 0.97%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 0.86%, and the Nasdaq 100 by 1.45%, reflecting growing investor confidence amid optimism that the Middle East conflict may soon conclude, which could stabilize global markets.
- Strong Economic Data: The US ADP employment change for March increased by 62,000, surpassing expectations of 40,000, while February retail sales rose by 0.6% month-over-month, indicating robust economic recovery that may influence Federal Reserve policy decisions.
- Interest Rate Outlook: Despite a mere 1% chance of a 25 basis point rate hike at the upcoming FOMC meeting, hawkish comments from St. Louis Fed President raised concerns about inflation and employment risks, potentially affecting investor sentiment and market dynamics.
- Divergent Stock Performances: Target Hospitality surged by over 37% after securing a multi-year contract worth over $550 million, while Nike fell by more than 13% due to revenue forecasts indicating a decline, highlighting varied market reactions to company-specific news.
See More
- Market Optimism: The S&P 500 index rose by 0.52%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 0.43%, and the Nasdaq 100 by 0.68%, reflecting investor optimism regarding a potential resolution to the Middle East conflict, which has fueled a continuation of Tuesday's strong rally.
- Strong Economic Data: The US ADP employment change for March increased by 62,000, surpassing expectations of 40,000, while February retail sales rose by 0.6% month-over-month, exceeding the anticipated 0.5%, bolstering market confidence in economic recovery and potentially influencing future monetary policy.
- Interest Rate Expectations: Despite hawkish comments from the St. Louis Fed President putting pressure on stocks, the market is still pricing in only a 1% chance of a 25 basis point rate hike at the upcoming FOMC meeting on April 28-29, indicating a cautious optimism regarding economic growth.
- Notable Stock Performances: Target Hospitality's stock surged over 28% after securing a multi-year contract worth over $550 million, while nCino's forecast of $569 million to $573 million in subscription revenue for 2027 exceeded market expectations, highlighting strong demand in the tech and service sectors.
See More
- Bond Buyback Initiative: AngloGold Ashanti Holdings plc announces cash offers to repurchase its 2028, 2030, and 2040 notes, with a maximum total of $650 million aimed at optimizing capital structure and reducing financing costs.
- Priority Arrangement: The repurchase will be conducted based on acceptance priority levels, with a sub-cap of $50 million for the 2040 notes, ensuring that higher-priority bonds are accepted first, thereby enhancing investor participation.
- Early Tender Incentive: Investors who validly tender their notes before the deadline will receive an early tender payment of $50 per $1,000 of notes, designed to encourage more holders to participate in the buyback and improve liquidity.
- Key Timelines: The early tender deadline is set for April 13, 2026, with the final settlement date expected on May 1, 2026, ensuring timely payment to investors and reducing market uncertainty.
See More











