The JSE was down 2% at midday on Monday, following a more than 5% drop in both gold and platinum miners. Traders said the local bourse was following world markets, which were under pressure, while lower commodities prices were also weighing on sentiment.
Even the sharply weaker rand — which would ordinarily support the JSE — did not appear to be having an effect.
By 11:45am, the all share index had shed 2,06%, with resources off 2,66% and the gold mining index 5,41% weaker, while the platinum mining index retreated 5,85%.
The banks index was 2,93% lower, while the financial index retreated 1,48% and the industrial index shed 1,60%.
The rand was bid at 6,41 per dollar from 6,22 when the JSE closed on Friday, while gold was quoted at $691,67 a troy ounce from $718,10/oz at the JSE’s last close.
“It’s like all hell has broken loose today — overseas markets are down, the gold price has taken a hammering, platinum is down and Brent is also lower,” said an equities trader.
London-listed diversified resources group Anglo American lost R3,09, or 1,09%, to R281,01, but well off its intraday low of R272,50, and BHP Billiton was down R1,84, or 1,35%, at R134,66 — also off its intrady worst of R130,01.
Petrochemicals group Sasol slipped 4,08% or R11,20 to R263,30.
Steelmakers were also lower, with Mittal Steel off 6,11%, or R4,40, to R67,60, while Hiveld was off 3,48%, or R2,75, to R76,25.
The gold price was under pressure and has retreated below the $700 an ounce level, dragging gold counters down with it.
Harmony Gold tumbled 5,89% or R5,88 to R93,93 and AngloGold Ashanti shed R21,83, or 6,35%, to R322,17, while Gold Fields was off 4,50%, or R7,19, to R152,75.
The platinum price shed around $24/oz and was last at $1 290/oz, which was putting pressure on platinum counters. AngloPlat weakened 5,78% or R39,01 to R635,99 and Impala was off R77, or 5,83%, to R1 243.
Telkom gave up 3,45% or R4,80 to R134,20 and MTN weakened 51 cents to R58,49.
In the news, brand management group Barloworld reported a 10% increase in headline earnings per share to 402 cents for the six months ended in March from 367 cents a year earlier. An interim dividend of 150 cents per share was declared.
Revenue was up 8% to R19,5-billion, while operating profit jumped 16% to R1,75-billion.
Barloworld’s share price was down 535 cents, or 4,19%, to R122,25.
African Bank Investments Limited reported a 15% increase in headline earnings per share to 100,3 cents for the six months ended in March from 87,5 cents a year ago. An interim dividend of 80 cents per share was declared. Headline earnings rise to R498-million from a previous R412-million, while sales grew 26% to R3,2-billion, resulting in a 25% increase in the lending books to R6,4-billion, the company said. Abil’s share price was off 95 cents to R28,65.
Old Mutual was up 33 cents to R21,70 on the back of demand from London, the trader added.
Nedbank was 3,01% or R4 in the red at R129 and Standard Bank slipped 245 cents to R80,10.
Shares to buck the trend were SABMiller was up 110 cents to R132,10, while Richemont was up 28 cents to R31,79.
World markets were also under pressure, starting with a sharp decline on Wall Street on Friday night, which spilled over onto Asian markets on Monday morning and then to European bourses. – I-Net Bridge