Pockets of profit-taking put a lid on the JSE’s record run in the last trading day of 2006, but the outlook for the new-year remains in line with the recent bullish trend.
The JSE closed at noon on Friday ahead of the new-year’s long weekend, the same time as the other local underlying financial markets.
The all share index was down 0,28%, with gold giving back 0,84% after gaining 1,45% on Thursday, resources were 0,32% lower, platinum receded by 0,22%, financials shed 0,34% and banks 0,24%, and industrials moved south by 0,22%.
The rand was bid at 6,98 per dollar from 7,00 when the JSE closed on Thursday, while gold was quoted at $634,40 a troy ounce from $632,68 at the JSE’s last close.
“There is some profit-taking after some shares ran up recently, but the market is very quiet,” said dealer from Cortex Securities, Martin Lentsoane.
“It’s been a good year, however — after the May sell-off it’s been a nice ride. This might continue for another month or two and then we could see a slight sell-off, which shouldn’t be drastic. Then we may start pushing up again,” added Lentsoane, when asked for his outlook for 2007.
The JSE reached a new trading high on Thursday of 25 076 and a new closing high of 24 986 was also struck, but this gain was limited to just 54 points as
profit-taking — mainly among the banks — had set in.
On Friday London-listed resources giant Anglo American was down 105 cents at R342, while BHP Billiton was off by 30 cents at R128,95.
Synthetics fuels producer Sasol was 21 cents softer at R258,79. Among gold counters, AngloGold Ashanti receded by R4, or 1,20%, to R329,99, while Western Areas lost the most — 3,72% — to R45.25.
Impala Platinum eked out a gain of 25 cents to R184, but Anglo Platinum was off by R6,97 to R856,03. Barplats was again unloved, losing 50 cents, or 6,85%, to R6,80.
On the industrial front, PPC stood out as it lost R14,60, or 3,63%, to R388. Barloworld, however, was unchanged at R164, while global brewer SAB Miller shed R1,76 to R160,44.
Media group Naspers bucked the downward trend to add a respectable R1,50, or 0,91%, to R166.
Mobile network provider MTN Group managed to reverse the recent bout of profit-taking to collect 31 cents to R85,30.
Among retailers, Edcon lost 69 cents, or 1,74%, to R39,01, JD Group gave back 95 cents, or 1,18%, to R79,55 and Foschini lost 85 cents, or 1,46%, to R57,40.
Among banks, Absa was up a mere five cents to R125,10, but Nedbank was off 25 cents to R133,50 and Firstrand shed 10 cents to R22,20.
Old Mutual was 10 cents lower at R23,90, while Sanlam retreated by 30 cents to R18,30. Liberty, however, added 61 cents to R83,01 and Santam gained 35 cents to R87,45.
A dealer said earlier that the more subdued Wall Street had also played a role in slowing local sentiment on Friday.
AFX reports Wall Street stalled on Thursday after a battery of reports indicated the economy is stronger than expected and raised concerns that the Federal Reserve might be more aggressive about interest rates next year.
There has been speculation in the market that Fed policymakers might be ready to cut interest rates because the economy appeared to be moderating on course. However, investors believed that better-than-expected reports that measured existing home sales, consumer sentiment, and manufacturing in the Midwest lessened the possibility of a cut.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 9,05, or 0,07%, to 12 501,52, after reaching a new trading high of 12 529,88. That’s slightly above Wednesday’s
record close of 12 510,57.
Broader stock indicators slipped. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 2,11, or 0,15%, to 1 424,73, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 5,65, or 0,23%, to 2 425,57. – I-Net Bridge