Nov 23 (Reuters) – Most emerging markets stocks edged up on Thursday and currencies were steady in holiday-thinned trade, though investors geared up for monetary policy decisions from Turkey and South Africa.

Turkey’s lira TRYTOM=D3 was little changed at 28.82 against the dollar ahead of the local central bank’s interest rate decision where economists largely expect a 250 basis points raise to 37.5%. The decision is due at 1100 GMT.

“The one-week repo rate will likely peak around 40%,” said Bartosz Sawicki, market analyst at Conotoxia fintech.

“The Turkish central bank might opt to reduce the pace of rate hikes as the annual inflation rate inched lower in October and external price pressure dynamics have turned a tad more favorable.”

The lira has weakened more than 30% since the late-May election which was followed by a subsequent loosening of controls on the foreign exchange market and a pivot to more orthodox monetary policy.

Turkish stocks .XU100 were up 0.6% during the session and have gained more than 75% since the vote.

More broadly, MSCI’s index tracking developing markets stocks .MSCIEF climbed 0.4%, hovering near a two and-a-half month high hit earlier in the week, while a basket of currencies .MIEM00000CUS inched up 0.1% against the dollar at 1005 GMT.

Trading worldwide was expected to be quiet due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.

In focus later in the day will also be an interest rate decision in South Africa, where economists largely expect the local central bank to hold borrowing costs steady at 8.25% at 1300 GMT.

Uncertainty remains on the outlook for monetary policy after data on Wednesday showed inflation rose unexpectedly in October, nearing the top-end of the regulator’s target range.

Also in Africa, Kenya’s President William Ruto said the government was poised to privatise 35 state companies and was looking at a further 100 firms after enacting a law last month to cut down on bureaucracy.

Meanwhile, a Reuters poll of equity strategists believe India’s stock market will hit new highs in the next six months and rise over 10% from here by end-2024, driven by a sustained expansion in the fastest-growing major economy.

Moves on the south Asian country’s blue-chip indexes Nifty 50 .NSEI and Sensex .BSESN were subdued on Thursday, however they have gained nearly 10% year-to-date.

Russia’s rouble RUBUTSTN=MCX strengthened, trading at 88.17 to the dollar and was heading towards a near five-month high hit earlier this week, helped by month-end tax payments, exporters’ forced foreign currency sales and high interest rates.

(Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru, Editing by William Maclean)