After a volatile start, the JSE Securities Exchange (JSE) settled in positive territory by noon on Wednesday, buoyed by strength on European markets. Retailers and banks were features on the upside, with many hitting new highs.
By 11.59am, the all-share index was up 0,37%. Industrials and financials firmed 0,53% and 0,58% respectively. The banks index was bolstered 0,93%. Resources rose 0,12% and the gold-mining index gained 0,26%.
The rand was quoted at R6,66 per dollar, little changed from when the JSE closed on Tuesday, while gold was quoted at $407,50 an ounce from $409,10/oz at the JSE’s last close.
“The market is very thin and it is tracking European bourses. The rand impacted a bit — it traded at around R6,63 earlier — but not much,” a dealer said.
“We have seen good demand for banks and massive demand for retailers. With interest rates where they are, someone must have made a cyclical call on retailers. When it comes to banks, there is speculation on whether one of them will be a takeover target.”
Retailers to rally included Edcon, which surged 2,99% or five rand to R172 after earlier trading at a best-to-date R173.
Truworths, which touched a lifetime high of R10,95, was last quoted 2,36% or 25 cents stronger at R10,85.
Woolies leaped 3,4% or 27 cents to R8,20 — its best level since November 1997 — while Foschini firmed 2,07% or 50 cents to R24,60. Its intraday high of R24,72 was its best since March 1996.
Other industrials to enjoy strong performances included transport and logistics group Imperial, which jumped 2,08% or R1,60 to R78,39 after earlier trading at a best-to-date R78,75.
Fast-food group Famous Brands forged ahead 3,33% or 15 cents to R4,65, after earlier trading at a lifetime high of R4,75.
The strength came on the back of a trading announcement released at midday on Tuesday in which Famous Brands said it expected a 50% to 70% rise in its headline earnings for the six months to the end of August.
London-listed brewer SABMiller ticked up 24 cents to R83,39. Its intraday high of R83,80 was its best since June 2002.
Swiss-listed luxury goods group Richemont strengthened 14 cents to R17,18.
On the financial front, Sanlam surged 2,23% or 20 cents to R9,17.
Nedcor climbed 1,59% or 89 cents to R56,90 and Absa added 39 cents to R55,49.
Standard Bank was 33 cents in the black at R44,72 after earlier trading at a lifetime high of R44,95 and FirstRand firmed nine cents to R10,78 after touching R10,90 — its strongest since June 1998.
While investment company Remgro was unchanged at R81, it earlier traded at a lifetime high of R81,51.
On the resources index, BHP Billiton was 30 cents better at R62,45 and Anglo American added 20 cents to R151.
Gold miner Harmony was 52 cents higher at R82,50, but AngloPlat eased one rand to R294,50.
Petrochemicals group Sasol slipped 69 cents to R113,30, having largely shrugged off reports of a large explosion at its Sasol Polymers ethylene plant located at Secunda.
Other decliners included media group Naspers, which shed 27 cents to R48,69 and food group Tongaat, which fell 1,09% or 50 cents to R45,20.
Retailer Metcash retreated 1,54% or four cents to R2,56.
Sport and entertainment company Sail Group plunged 10% or five cents to 45 cents, although only 12 500 shares had traded in two deals.
The offer price for the proposed purchase is two-tiered — long-term shareholders Nedbank and Luna Corporation have been offered 40,48 cents per ordinary share, while all other remaining shareholders have been offered 42 cents per share.
The weighted average Sail share price for the 30 days before Sail published its first cautionary announcement on April 30 was 35 cents per share.
Sail said earlier that it had received a firm offer for the shares held by minority shareholders. — I-Net Bridge