After reaching a new closing high on Friday, the JSE lost ground at the opening on Monday in line with its global counterparts. Dealers said that uncertainty about the United States economy as well as Thursday’s interest rate decision locally are weighing on the bourse.
By 09.19am, the all share and all share industrial indices had shed 0,42% and 0,29% respectively. The financial and resources index both fell 0,49%. The banks index lost 0,86%, the gold mining index gave up 0,5% and the platinum mining index dipped 0,16%.
The rand was bid at 7,14 per dollar from 7,12 when the JSE closed on Friday, while gold was quoted at $647,05 a troy ounce from $647,20/oz at the JSE’s last close.
“We were very strong on Friday, but have come back a little right across the board,” a dealer said.
He added that with the US dollar looking very weak, there were concerns about whether the US economy was decelerating rapidly and whether the rest of the world would be able to pull up if this were the case.
“People are also jittery about if the rate hike locally on Thursday is going to be 50 basis points or one hundred basis points,” he continued.
He said that world markets were all looking weaker and the JSE seemed to be taking its cue from there.
“It is quiet. We are getting into the festive season where people start to close off for the year. The market has done well and I don’t think chaps want to extend risks, particularly with the uncertainty that is facing global markets,” the dealer said.
On the resources index, London-listed Anglo American eased 80 cents to R332,50 and BHP Billiton weakened 59 cents to R135,50.
Petrochemicals group Sasol surrendered 1,44% or R3,70 to R253,80.
AngloGold Ashanti slipped R3,03 to R342,52 and Harmony was 1,04% or R1,26 lower at R119,99.
Among industrials, Swiss-listed luxury goods group Richemont rose 27 cents to R39, but London-listed brewer SABMiller retreated R1,14 to R150.
Services group Bidvest was 1,77% or R2,32 softer at R128,75.
Pulp and paper producer Sappi plunged 4,95% or R5,74 to R110,26.
Retailer Pick ‘n Pay dropped 1,93% or 63 cents to R32 and JD Group was off 1,59% or R1,25 at R77,15.
Pick ‘n Pay and JD Group on Monday went ex-dividend of 27 cents per share (cps) and 182 cps respectively.
On the financial front, Liberty Group slid 1,82% or R1,41 to R76,09.
Sanlam was 13 cents softer at R17,80 and London-listed Old Mutual lost 10 cents to R23,15.
Nedbank tumbled 2,13% or R2,70 to R124, FirstRand fell 1,15% or 23 cents to R19,74, Absa gave up 90 cents to R114 and Standard Bank was 31 cents in the red at R88,19.
According to AFX, Wall Street stumbled on Friday after a key survey showed manufacturing unexpectedly contracted in November for the first time in more than three years, stoking concerns that the economy won’t be able to achieve a soft landing. The major indexes ended the week with losses.
Stocks and the dollar were socked after the Institute for Supply Management said its index on manufacturing fell to 49,5 from 51,2 in October. Economists had been expecting 51,5. Anything under 50 indicates the manufacturing sector is contracting.
The report, based on a survey of corporate purchasing managers, was seen by some on Wall Street as possibly indicating that the Federal Reserve might have overshot the mark in more than two years of interest rate hikes that ended in June.
Wall Street had been expecting the Fed would hold interest rates steady at its December 12 meeting, and now there is a growing belief the central bank may soon cut rates because of economic weakness.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 27,80, or 0,23%, to 12 194,13.
Broader stock indicators also declined. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index dropped 3,92, or 0,28%, to 1 396,71, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 18,56, or 0,76%, to 2 413,21. – I-Net Bridge