South African rand steady as PMI hits neutral mark

JOHANNESBURG, May 6 (Reuters) - The South African rand held steady for much of Tuesday's trading session after the release of a purchasing managers' index (PMI) survey that showed the country's private sector showed signs of stabilisation in April.

At 1340 GMT, the rand traded at 18.25 against the dollar ZAR=D3, little changed from Monday's close.

The rand gained roughly 1% against a weaker dollar on Monday, after utility Eskom said it was optimistic about the power outlook over the next four months, aiming for no electricity cuts.

The dollar =USD last traded about 0.4% weaker against a basket of currencies as investors worried about U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff threats. On Wednesday the global investor focus will shift to the Federal Reserve's policy decision.

The S&P Global South Africa PMI rose to the neutral 50-point mark in April, emerging from a four-month downturn as sales picked up slightly.

That was an improvement on last week's local manufacturing PMI, which slumped further into contractionary territory.

On the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the Top-40 index .JTOPI last traded 0.4% lower. The benchmark 2030 government bond ZAR2030= slipped, as the yield rose 6.5 basis points to 8.93%.