The JSE remained lower across the board at noon on Tuesday with platinum stocks the hardest hit on talk of a likely strike in the sector, while lingering inflation jitters ahead of key data later in the week added to the bearish undertone.
At noon, the all-share index was off 0,71%. Resources gave up 0,90% and the gold- and platinum-mining indices were down 1,11% and 2,72% respectively. Industrials shed 0,44%, financials dipped 0,70% and banks dropped 1,20%.
The rand was bid at 7,18 to the US dollar from 7,14 when the JSE closed on Monday, while gold was quoted at $649,45 a troy ounce from $650,88 at the JSE’s last close.
One trader said that platinum counters came under pressure on a possible strike in the sector after the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) declared a wage dispute with Impala Platinum on Friday.
NUM has also declared wage disputes — the first legal step before the strike — with Kumba Iron Ore and Gold Fields.
The trader added that miners were further pressured by sustained weaknesses in the metal prices due to a stronger yen.
However, overall trading volumes were low as most investors remained on the sidelines ahead of key inflation data later in the week.
The data includes May CPI on Wednesday, PPI on Thursday and money supply and trade data on Friday.
Impala Platinum was the worst casualty among leading platinum miners, falling 3,44%, or R7,99, to R224.
Anglo Platinum gave up 2,40%, or R30,01, to R1 218,99 and Northam Platinum shed 2,91%, or R1,70, to R56,80.
Among gold counters, Gold Fields was off 1,49%, or R1,74, to R115,25 and AngloGold Ashanti gave up 1,12%, or R3,06, to R270,99.
Kumba Iron Ore eased 80 cents to R185,95.
Newly listed aluminium group Hulamin soared 7,91%, or R2,50, to R34,50 and Tongaat Hulett added 50 cents to R96. One analyst commented that the counters were undervalued if compared with Friday’s R140 closing price of Tongaat-Hulett Group.
Hulamin was unbundled from Tongaat Hulett and separately listed on Monday.
Elsewhere, media group Naspers fell 1,44%, or R2,70, to R185,40. It earlier reported diluted headline earnings per share of 832 cents for the year ended March compared with 722 cents a year ago. An annual ordinary dividend of 156 cents per share was declared — up 30%.
On the resource index, Anglo American shed R1,62 to R424,49 and BHP Billiton was flat at R197,33. — I-Net Bridge