The JSE Securities Exchange South Africa (JSE) was mixed at midday on Monday after a quiet morning on which the local bourse lacked major drivers.
At 12.05pm, the all-share index was flat (+0,01%) as was the financial index (+0,05%). Resources were up 0,22%, while the gold mining and banks indices were 0,3% and 0,72% better respectively. The platinum mining index surrendered 1,48% in morning trade, while industrials eased 0,29%.
The rand was quoted at R7,03 per dollar from R7,07 when the JSE closed on Friday, while gold was quoted at $401,35 an ounce from $399,90/oz at the JSE’s last close.
“It has been very quiet — one of the quietest days we have seen for quite a while with the exception of Christmas and New Year,” a dealer said.
He said that overall, the market was mixed and there were no real drivers.
“The rand has been a bit erratic, but seems to have settled a bit,” he commented.
On the resources market, London-listed diversified resources group Anglo American added 85 cents to R160,25 and BHP Billiton was 25 cents better at R58,15.
AngloGold gained 2,08% or R5,98 to R293, but Harmony dipped 46 cents to R108,55 and Gold Fields was flat at R91.
“Platinum stocks are looking weaker, but golds are mixed — they were mixed in New York on Friday,” the dealer commented.
Impala Platinum was 1,75% or R10 weaker at R562 and AngloPlat was down 1,22% or four rand at R324.
Pulp and paper producer Sappi was 2,09% or two rand softer at R93,49, after it reported a headline loss of nine US cents per share for the quarter ended December 31 compared with HEPS of 11 cents for the September quarter and 22 cents for the quarter ended December 2002.
Sales for the quarter were flat at $1,120-billion from $1,123-billion in the September quarter and $1,019-billion the year before.
The group recorded a net loss of $21-million compared with a net profit of $51-million for the same period a year ago.
“Sappi was down almost 3% in New York on Friday ahead of the results — a lot of people knew they were going to be negative,” the dealer commented.
Other industrials to decline included Swiss-listed luxury goods group Richemont retreated 1,4% or 25 cents to R17,65.
Hospital group Netcare was 1,5% or seven cents weaker at R4,60 after going ex-dividend of nine cents.
Another feature was construction group Aveng, which plummeted 7,95% or 70 cents to R8,10 after it warned that profits for both its interim results to end-December 2003 and the year ending June 30 2004 could be in the region of 50% lower than that of a year earlier.
On the upside, cellular network operator MTN Group jumped 1,54% or 46 cents to R30,31 and services group Bidvest was 1,27% or 60 cents in the black at R47,80.
Financials to fall included London-listed Old Mutual, which lost 1,06% or 13 cents to R12,11.
Corpcapital nosedived 73,22% or 134 cents to 49 cents after going ex special dividend of 145,8 cents.
Banks were stronger, with bargain-hunting lifting Nedcor 2,29% or R1,50 to R67.
Absa advanced 40 cents to R44,70, Standard Bank was up 30 cents at R40,80 and FirstRand was four cents firmer at R8,98. — I-Net Bridge