The JSE was in the red just before noon on Thursday, dragged down by profit-taking and weaker world markets. While off their highs, gold stocks remained strong on the back of the bullion price which reached a 24-and-a-half year high of $519,01/oz in Asian trade.
By 11.51am, the all share and all share industrial indices shed 0,43% and 0,3% respectively. Financials fell 0,59% and the banks index slumped 1,47%.
Resources surrendered 0,45% and the platinum mining index eased 0,1%, but the gold mining index jumped 2,26%.
The rand was bid at 6,32 per dollar from 6,31 when the JSE closed on Wednesday, while gold was quoted at $514,70/oz from $515.25/oz at the JSE’s last close.
“Banks were pushed up in the closing auction yesterday [Wednesda] and have come under a bit of pressure,” a dealer said.
He noted that Standard Bank and FirstRand were the most active shares in terms of value traded.
The dealer continued that in addition to profit taking in banks, most JSE sectors were down on the back of weaker world markets.
“Eastern markets took a big smack — the Hang Seng was down 255 points and
the Nikkei was down 301 points. The Dow was down, the Nasdaq was down and all
the rest of the markets are down,” he commented.
He said that the focus of the afternoon would be on the Monetary Policy Committee announcement on interest rates due just after 3pm.
The MPC is expected to leave the repo rate unchanged at 7%. While the dealer expected the announcement to be a damp squib, he said that the market could pick up a bit should the statement accompanying the decision be doveish.
He said that it was not surprising that gold shares featured on the JSE’s upside, given the strength in the metal and the marginally weaker rand.
On the JSE’s downside, Standard Bank slid 1,78% or R1,30 to R71,85 and FirstRand retreated 1,42% or 25 cents to R17,35. Absa weakened 1,84% or R1,79 to R95,39 and Nedbank dipped 11 cents to R93,39.
Life assurer Sanlam was 1,54% or 22 cents lower at R14,06.
Global resources group BHP Billiton lost 1,42% or R1,40 to R97,50 and Anglo American was R1,49 lower at R203,50.
Petrochemicals group Sasol slipped R1,95 to R209,05.
Pulp and paper producer Sappi tumbled 2,04% or R1,51 to R72,48.
Swiss-listed luxury goods group Richemont was down 10 cents to R25,70 and London-listed brewer SABMiller was off 35 cents at R116.
Hospital group Netcare shed 1,43% or 10 cents to R6,90.
Telkom gave up 1,12% or R1,50 to R132,50 and MTN Group drpped 55 cents to R58,25.
Retailer Truworths retreated 2,14% or 45 cents to R20,55, Woolies weakened 1,2% or 16 cents to R13,19 and Edcon lost 1,37% or 45 cents to R32,30.
On the upside, Harmony Gold rallied 2,86% or R2,31 to R83,01, Gold Fields gained 2,29% or R2,34 to R104,35 and AngloGold Ashanti advanced 1,78% or R5,11 to R292,50.
Brand management group Barloworld was 1,73% or R1,80 better at R106,10.
Media group Naspers, which earlier traded at a best ever R119,50, was 2,19% or R2,50 in the black at R116,50.
Naspers shares have been on the front foot since Tuesday following reports that a consortium led by PSG Group had launched a bid for Keeromstraat 30 Beleggings Beperk, which, if successful, would give the consortium control of 22% of Naspers.
On the financial front, London-listed Old Mutual strengthened 1,81% or 31 cents to R17,40. Its subsidiary Mutual $ Federal was up 1,89% or 50 cents at R27. Its intraday high of R27,01 was last seen in May 1998. – I-Net Bridge