The JSE was pausing for breath in noon trade on Friday after its rally on Thursday to a closing high, which came on the back of higher commodity prices.
By 12.12pm, the all-share index was off 0,35% at 26Â 603,220, although it did touch a record trading high of 26Â 770,949 mid morning.
Resources retreated 0,49%, with the gold-mining index surrendering 0,62%. The platinum-mining index climbed 1,32%, however. Industrials dipped 0,14% and financials fell 0,47%, but the banks index was flat (-0,02%).
The rand was bid at 7,06 per dollar from 7,07 when the JSE closed on Thursday, while gold was quoted at $677,50 a troy ounce from $676/oz at the JSE’s last close.
“It’s almost like the market is taking a bit of a breather. It’s been pretty hectic,” a dealer said. “The market was driven up again yesterday [Thursday] by gold, platinum and copper — general commodity strength. That’s what has been driving the market and that’s what will continue to drive it.”
He added that looking at individual performances, there had been some staggering performances from small- and mid-cap stocks. However, these had very little influence on the broader index.
“Today [Friday] it is pretty quiet. We have just gone off the boil from the kind of thrust that fuelled us yesterday.”
On the resources index, London-listed Anglo American lost 1,11% or R3,98 to R354. BHP Billiton weakened 70 cents to R152,50.
Petrochemicals group Sasol slipped R2,15 to R249,10
AngloGold Ashanti shed 1,19% or R4 to R331 and Harmony was 73 cents lower at R98,25.
Exxaro tumbled 2,68% or R1,79 to R65,11 having come under pressure following the release of its results on Thursday morning.
AngloPlat, however, jumped 2,08% or R21 to R1Â 033 after trading at an all-time high of R1Â 045. Impala improved 1% or R2,05 to R208,05.
Among industrials, Swiss-listed luxury goods group Richemont inched up six cents to R40,45, but London-listed brewer SABMiller eased 63 cents to R163,50.
Mittal Steel was 1,35% or R1,59 softer at R116,62.
Cellular network operator MTN Group gave up 75 cents to R93,75 and Telkom was off R1,50 at R172.
Brand management group Barloworld weakened 1,1% or R1,94 to R174,75 but services group Bidvest was 1,42% or R2 better at R143.
After a phenomenal performance on Thursday, which took it to a record high, construction company Group Five tumbled 2,02% or R1,11 to R53,89.
On the financial index, banking group FirstRand was unchanged at R24,55, although it earlier traded at a highest-ever R24,70. Nedbank notched up 1,51% or R2,16 to R145,31 and Absa added 60 cents to R140,20. Standard Bank, however, was down 50 cents at R103,50.
London-listed financial services group Old Mutual tumbled 2,52% or 65 cents to R25,10.
Health and life insurer Discovery leaped 3,48% or R1,05 to R31,24 following its release of strong results on Thursday. — I-Net Bridge