JSE went down like a lead balloon on Wednesday morning after a oil-triggered sell off in commodities overnight sparked aggressive profit-taking in heavyweight resources stocks. Weaker world markets aggravated matters.
By 12.01pm, the all share index slipped 1,69%. Resources slumped 3,01%, with
the gold and platinum mining indices plunging 3,94% and 4,34% respectively.
Industrials lost 0,93% and financials fell 0,73%, while the banks index was 1,36% in the red.
The rand was bid at 6,22 per dollar from 6,12 when the JSE closed on Tuesday, while gold was quoted at $548,41 a troy ounce from $558,07/oz at the JSE’s last close.
“It’s correction time at long last,” a dealer said. “Gold broke below $550 and is almost $20 off from yesterday’s [Tuesday] opening which killed gold shares. These
were smashed in the States last night and platinum and other resources shares
have followed suit.”
The dealer explained that a fall in the oil price had triggered the sell off in other commodities. The gold and platinum markets were excessively long and downside stop losses were triggered, making for even more weakness.
World markets were also lower, which was not helping the JSE.
However, there were a couple of bright spots, with non-resource rand hedge sticks faring reasonably.
“In general, we are in profit-taking mode. There has been a bit of panic selling as people try to get out of positions,” the dealer commented.
The correction was overdue as the market had been looking bubblish, the dealer asserted. He said that the JSE could be in for more losses over the next month or two. However, over the next 12 to 18 months, the dealer remained bullish.
For now, all eyes will be on US crude inventories data due out at 5.30pm, which is likely to give oil and therefore other commodities direction.
On the resources index, London-listed diversified resources group Anglo American slid 3,18% or R7,25 to R220,50. BHP Billiton tumbled 2,06% or R2,25 to R106,75.
Petrochemicals group Sasol slipped 2,24% or R5,50 to R240,50.
Harmony dived 5,39% or R5,98 to R105,02, Gold Fields dropped 4,23% or six rand to R136 and AngloGold Ashanti shed 2,27% or R8,26 to R355,49.
AngloPlat plummeted 5,3% or R29 to R518 and Impala weakened 3,88% or R42 to R1 041.
Mittal Steel was 3,47% or R2,29 softer at R63,71.
News that Transnet was to sell its 5% stake in the company saw cellular network operator MTN Group plunge 4,29% or R2,79 to R62,21. While Telkom was down 1,01% or R1,65 to R161, it earlier reached a record high of R163,50.
Media group Naspers was 2,38% or R3,10 weaker at R127,30.
While services group Bidvest shed 1,65% or R1,70 to R101,30, it traded at an all-time high of R103,80 on Wednesday morning.
Transport and logistics group Imperial retreated 2,22% or R3,60 to R158,60 and brand management group Barloworld weakened 1,96% or R2,40 to R120.
London-listed brewer SABMiller, however, was R1,18 stronger at R122,60 and Swiss-listed luxury goods group Richemont climbed nine cents to R27,59.
Pulp and paper producer Sappi strengthened 75 cents to R80.
Cement producer PPC climbed three rand to R357 after trading at a new high of R357,75.
The weaker rand was weighing on banks, with Standard Bank slipping 1,25% or one rand to R79,20. FirstRand fell 1,35% or 26 cents to R19 and its major shareholder RMB Holdings was 3,14% or 91 cents in the red at R28,05.
London-listed Old Mutual eased 15 cents to R20,35 and Sanlam was 10 cents softer at R16,20.
Investment company Remgro, however, bounced 76 cents to R121,66. – I-Net Bridge