The JSE Securities Exchange South Africa (JSE) was back in the red in noon trade on Thursday after the aftershocks of bomb blasts in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, sent European markets south and the JSE followed suit. Gold stocks spiked, however, as investors sought safe havens.
At 11.59am, the all-share and all-share industrial indices were 0,87% and 1,29% weaker respectively. Financials fell 0,92% and the banks index was 0,46% in the red. Resources retreated 0,54% and the platinum mining index dipped 0,12%, but the gold mining index gained 1,25%.
The rand was trading at R6,59 per dollar, little changed from when the JSE closed on Wednesday, while gold was quote at $394 an ounce, little changed from its level at the JSE’s previous closed.
“The market is down because of the bomb blasts in Turkey. European markets turned negative — they turned on a tickey — and we have just followed suit,” a dealer said.
CNN reports that a series of blasts rocked Istanbul on Thursday morning.
One blast destroyed part of the HSBC bank headquarters and a second hit a site near the British consulate, CNN Turk said. A third was reported outside a popular shopping mall.
The dealer added that the rand had firmed from levels seen earlier in the session, which also had a negative effect on the JSE.
“The gold price has firmed and gold shares should pick up,” the dealer added.
AngloGold was up 1,34% or R4 at R302, Gold Fields gained 1,47% or R1,30 to R89,50 and Harmony was 1,12% or R1,13 higher at R101,70.
Shares to decline in morning trade included London-listed diversified resources group Anglo American, which was 1,2% or R1,65 weaker at R136,35. BHP Billiton lost 1,31% or 65 cents to R48,85.
Swiss-listed luxury goods group Richemont plummeted 4,26% or 67 cents to R15,06.
London-listed beverages group SABMiller, which opened stronger after reporting its interim results, was 35 cents in the red at R62.
At the opening, the group reported a rise in headline earnings per share for the six months to the end of September 2003 to 34,7 US cents from 26,7 US cents a year earlier. It declared an interim dividend of 7,5 US cents per share, up from 6,5 US cents in 2002.
Brand management company Barloworld was 1,78% or R1,10 weaker at R60,60, but its subsidiary Avis rocketed 18,1% or R1,90 to R12,40.
Avis’s strength is not surprising as Barloworld on Thursday announced a buyout offer for Avis and is offering 970 cents in cash and 0,05 Barloworld shares for each Avis share. Based on a price of R60 per Barloworld share, the consideration amounts to 1 270 cents for each Avis share.
On the financial front, London-listed Old Mutual fell 2,82% or 31 cents to R10,69 and Standard Bank slipped 1,37% or 48 cents to R34,52. — I-Net Bridge=