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/ 5 November 2008
The JSE lost momentum in morning trade on Wednesday as investors looked to take profits.
The JSE remained firm by midday on Friday, with a trader saying that the market was consolidating after hitting record levels earlier this week. Starting from Wednesday, the bourse had two consecutive days of hitting all-time highs, but failed to close at its record peak of 32 130,75 points.
The JSE was trading just off its new record high by midday on Thursday as world markets and resources continued to add support. In the morning session, the bourse broke through Wednesday’s record and hit a fresh high of 32 127.051 points. By midday, the all-share index had gained 0,8% to 32,112,15 points.
The JSE kept toying with an all-time high by midday on Wednesday as resources continued to fuel the bourse. By noon, the JSE’s broader all-share index had risen 1,02% to 31 600,360 points. It reached an intra-day high of 31 700,350 points earlier, just off its all time high of 31 728,180 points hit in October last year.
World markets were dampened by negative earnings reports from the United States on Monday, causing the JSE to pull back sharply. By midday, the JSE’s broader all-share index had fallen 1,48%. The banking index pulled back 2,51% and financials retreated 1,41%.
Talk of China’s interest in a stake in BHP Billiton has sent the resources index northward and, in turn, helped the JSE advance further by midday on Wednesday. Dow Jones newswires said that the <i>Australian</i> reported in its Wednesday edition China is in the early stages of planning to buy a stake in miner BHP Billiton.
The JSE was looking lifeless at midday on Tuesday, as there was no real driver to push the market in either direction, traders said. By 11.59am, the JSE’s broader all-share index had shed 0,1%. The gold mining index dropped 3,14%, resources fell 1,48% and the platinum mining index declined 0,55%.
Mining counters gave the JSE some extra momentum on Wednesday, pushing the bourse more than a percent higher by midday. At noon, the JSE’s broader all-share index was 1,29% in the black, driven by a 5,45% rally in the platinum-mining index. Resources advanced 2,47% and the gold-mining index rose 1,07%.
The JSE remained in the black by noon on Wednesday, with a trader explaining that the United States Federal Reserve’s rate cut was adding buoyancy to the market. "The Fed’s rate decision, which saw rates decline from 3% to 2,25%, is still adding buoyancy to the JSE," he said.
Banks and financials helped the JSE advance further by midday on Wednesday as they cheered the move by the United States Federal Reserve to raise liquidity in financial markets. At noon, the JSE’s broader all-share index had gained 1,35%. Financials collected 1,94%, while banks were up 1,67%.