WEDNESDAY, 5.30PM:
The JSE all share index ended near the day’s highs, encouraged by a stronger rand and gold price. Upward movements on the Dow Jones and Hang Send indices, ending on 7 723,13 on Tuesday and at 9 226,55 on Wednesday respectively were supportive.
At the close the financial index was up 256,1 points at 9 807,0 and the industrial index had improved 106,6 points to end at 6 964,1. The all gold index rose 31,6 points to 751,6 and the all share index added 116,3 points to finish at 5 807,9. The respective highs of the day were 9 807,0, 6 970,0, 759,4 and 5 808,1.
Value traded was R640,822m compared with R867,5m on Tuesday.
The benchmark long government bond, the R150, was quoted at a 13,47% yield at the end of trade — three basis points better than the previous close. The yield fluctuated between 13,375% and 13,565% during the day. The longer dated R153 bond last yielded 13,54% from Tuesday’s close of 13,57%. The Eskom 168 bond was last bid at 13,63% from 13,68% at the previous close.
The rand gained more than 3c against the dollar to R4,9390 to the dollar from Tuesday’s close of R4,9785. It had touched a record low bid rate of R4,9925 on Monday afternoon.
Gold was last at $284,755 an ounce compared with the London morning fix of $285,90 and the day’s high of $286,40. On Tuesday it closed at $282,85 in New York.