The JSE was deep in the red and back below the 20 000 level just before noon on Friday after weakness on United States markets overnight triggered the profit taking that had been anticipated following the bourse’s phenomenal run in recent days. Losses were seen across the board — there were no advancers on the Top 40 index, while losers outnumbered winners on the all-share index by more than five to one.
By 11,52am, the all-share and all-share industrial indices slid 1,77% and 1,2% respectively. Resources retreated 2,43%, the gold-mining index dropped 2,76% and the platinum-mining index weakened 1,22%, Financials fell 1,51% and the banks index was 2,1% in the red.
The rand was bid at R6,09 per dollar from R6,10 when the JSE closed on Thursday, while gold was last quoted at $571,93 a troy ounce from $572,95/oz when the JSE last closed.
“There was a lot of disappointment from Wall Street last night, which flowed through to Japan and Asian markets and we are just tracking that,” a dealer said.
He continued that the JSE’s weakness was not unexpected.
“We were revved up at such a pace that we needed to take a breather. There was too much froth in this market and a lot of professional traders are taking money off the table,” he said.
The all-share index broke above 20 000 for the first time ever on Wednesday, just over a week after its initial breach of 19 000.
While he was expecting a negative day for the JSE overall, the dealer nevertheless expected the bourse to bounce off its lows towards the end of the day.
“Those people who have been short in this market because they were expecting a pull-back will probably use the weakness as an opportunity to take profits,” the dealer concluded.
On the resources index, global resources group BHP Billiton slumped 3,37% or R3,84 to R110 and Anglo American was off 1,89% or R4,50 at R233.
Petrochemicals group Sasol tumbled 2,67% or seven rand to R255.
AngloGold Ashanti slid 3,28% or R12,40 to R366, Gold Fields fell 2,86% or R4,20 to R142,60 and Harmony was 1,67% or R1,90 lower at R112,10.
AngloPlat dropped 2,21% or R11,84 to R525,11 and Impala eased eight rand to R1 067.
Swiss-listed luxury-goods group Richemont was down 1,26% or 55 cents to R27,50.
Cellular network operator MTN Group slid 2,51% or R1,58 to R61,40. Media group Naspers was 2,51% or R1,58 weaker at R129,80.
Mittal Steel slumped 3% or R2,09 to R67,67.
Pulp and paper producer Sappi shed 1,26% or R1,05 to R82,45.
Before the opening, Sappi reported December quarter headline earnings per share of one US cent from a loss of four US cents in the September quarter.
At the earnings per share level, Sappi reported zero US cents for the December quarter from a loss of 12 US cents in the September quarter.
Revenue for the December quarter was $1,175-billion down from $1,388-billion in the September quarter. Operating profit for the December quarter was $49-million up from $12-million in the September quarter.
The dealer said Sappi shares had run up strongly ahead of the results and its weakness on the day was in line with the general trend on the market and not the results themselves.
Retailer Massmart plunged 3,45% or R2,05 to R57,30, while Lewis was down 3,35% or R1,81 at R52,20.
Edcon lost 2,57% or 95 cents to R36,05 and furniture group Steinhoff shed 2,24% or 47 cents to R20,52.
On the financial front, London-listed Old Mutual was 1,44% or 30 cents lower at R20,50.
Standard Bank slid 2% or R1,69 to R82,86, Absa weakened 2,77% or R3,15 to R110,55, Nedbank was off 1,69% or R1,85 to R107,65 and FirstRand fell 1,97% or 39 cents to R19,45.
On the upside, media group Caxton bounced 1,86% or 28 cents to R15,30.
Home-improvements retailer Cashbuild soared 5,77% or three rand to a record high of R55.
Niche bank Capitec rocketed 7,27% or two rand to R29,50.
Barplats surged 5,71% or 50 cents to R9,25. — I-Net Bridge