Greek hopes lift SA futures 243pts

The SA futures market bucked a two-day losing streak to gain 243 points on Wednesday as hopes for a Greek resolution lifted spirits.

The local near-dated Alsi contract gained 0.80% to 30,599.

The rand was at 7.55 from R7.57 against the US dollar on Tuesday, while gold was quoted at US$1,737.70 a troy ounce from US$1,734.14/oz before.

The total number of contracts that exchanged hands was 32,183 from 40,867 on Tuesday.

A local trader said the equities market turned positive on news a deal may be struck in Greece.

US stock futures showed modest gains as progress toward a deal to restructure Greece's debt helped give investor sentiment a lift, according to Dow Jones Newswires.