MICHAEL METELITS, Johannesburg | Tuesday 6.00pm.
DESPITE the release Tuesday of domestic consumer price information from Statistics South Africa, formerly the Central Statistical Service, international trends again dominated the JSE and other local markets. Those trends were positive, as a number of markets bounced back from Monday’s carnage.
The CPI 12-month rate was 7,6%, which didn’t deviate significantly from previous market expectations of about 7,7%.
The Nikkei was up almost 200 points and the Hang Seng followed suit, giving a positive direction to local and European markets. Keith Francis from Barnard Jacobs Mellet said there weren’t any reasons for the JSE to deviate from international trends, since the CPI release had already been discounted by the bond market.
The all share jumped 154 points to close at 4 906, while industrials were even stronger, finishing at 5 533 for a gain of 257 points. Financials powered 383 points higher to end up at 7 264.
All gold lost 76 to wind up at 940, despite a modest rise in the price of gold, to $289,45, a gain of only 50 cents.
Bonds opened stronger, but after the CPI figures were seen to be in line with expectations, profit taking muted gains early in the afternoon. The R150 stormed back on the strength of a firming rand, however, and finished at 17,44%, gaining 69 basis points.
Dealers said the R157 auction was well-supported today, boosting prices.
The rand began the day in a narrow trading range, but picked up on international trends, a firm bond auction, and inflation figures in line with expectations to pick up almost 19 cents on the dollar. The currency closed at R5,935, its first close under R6,00 to the dollar since July.