The JSE extended gains at midday on Monday helped by the solid buying for resources heavyweights after the rand weakened — but trade was sluggish as most players were still on leave. South African markets will be closed on Tuesday May 1 for Workers’ Day.
At noon, the all-share index was up 0,57%. Resources added 0,83% but the gold and platinum mining indices fell 0,83% and 0,40% respectively. Industrials gained 0,63%, while financials and banks shed 0,07% and 0,39% respectively.
The rand was bid at R7,11 per dollar, from R7 when the JSE closed on Thursday, while gold was quoted at $677,75 a troy ounce from $674,90/oz at the JSE’s last close.
“Anglo [American] and BHP Billiton are really driving the market right now,” a Johannesburg-based dealer said.
He added that there were still concerns in the markets after China’s central bank increased banks’ capital adequacy in a fresh bid to slow down that country’s fast-growing economy.
“Developments in China could have a negative impact on the resources stocks,” the dealer said.
On the resources index, London-listed resources giant Anglo American was up 1,97%, or R7,36, to R380,16 and BHP Billiton added 1,06%, or R1,68, to R160,79.
BHP Billiton said earlier that it has acquired a 33,3% interest in Global Alumina’s Sangaredi Refinery Project in Guinea, West Africa, for $140-million. The project comprises the design, construction and operation of a three-million-tonnes-a-year alumina refinery, nine-million-tonnes-a-year bauxite mine and associated infrastructure.
Junior resources group African Rainbow Minerals tumbled 4,29%, or R5,30, to R118,20.
Gold miner DRDGold soared 8,99%, or 47 cents, to R5,70, while most gold miners suffered losses. Last week on Thursday, DRDGold announced that it has reached an agreement with Australian-listed Mintails on the formation of a joint venture to explore uranium mining options in South Africa.
AngloGold Ashanti shed 1,09%, or R3,48, to R316,50 and Gold Fields was down R1,16 at R128,08.
Platinum producer Anglo Platinum lost 1,09%, or R13, to R1 177 and Impala Platinum weakened 56 cents to R234,69.
Petrochemicals group Sasol strengthened 50 cents to R244,50.
Among industrials, London-listed global brewer SABMiller climbed 1,95%, or R3,22, to R168,30, services group Bidvest strengthened 1,21%, or R1,75, to R146,75 and brand-management group Barloworld was R1,50 better at R197.
Cellphone network provider MTN Group gained 1,36%, or R1,40, to R104,20, while Telkom gave up 10 cents to R173,15.
Financial services group Alexander Forbes inched up five cents to R16,65. The company said late on Thursday that headline earnings for the year to the end of March were expected to be up by more than 100% to between 110 and 120 cents per share from a loss of three cents per share the previous year. — I-Net Bridge