South Africa Equity Market | 21 Aug 2015: Johannesburg Stock Exchange downward trend continues …

Johannesburg, South Africa (Capital Markets in Africa) — Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) ended in bearish mood, with falls across the main sector indices except gold miners index. JSE All Share closed 1.47 percent or 733.21 points lower to end at 49,028.36 points and the JSE Top 40 index sagged by 744.83 points or 1.69 percent to end at 43,404.56 points.

JSE Financial sector index plunged by 1.44 percent or 630.62 points at 43,099.47 points. Both Industrial sector index and industrial 25 index declined by 1.53 percent to close at 70,522.10 points and 1.57 percent to settle at 62,744.73 points respectively. The resource index went down by 1.33 percent or 476.03 points to close at 35,327.10 points but the Gold mining sector index climbed by 2.02 percent with a closing level of 1,022.93 points.

Looking at the market strength/breath (measured as ratio of gainers to losers), the market recorded 121 price gainers, 268 price losers and 61 remained unchanged, hence market strength/breathe ended negative.  Amongst the top gainers was Rockwell Diamonds Incorporation climbed by 122.77 percent to end at ZAR 2.25 after investors exchanged 8455 shares. Lonmin Plc rose by 12.22 percent after traded 4,178,726 shares, boosting the share price to ZAR 7.53. Basil Read Holdings Limited also added 10.83 percent to sell at ZAR 3.99 after investors traded 69,401 shares. Andulela Invest Holdings rose by 9.26 percent to ZAR 1.18 after exchanged a total of 5,150 shares. Angent Industrial Limited surged by 8.58 percent to end at ZAR 4.68.

On the losers’ league table, was Cargo Carriers Limited whose shares fell to ZAR 12.50 after 100 shares were bought and sold, resulting in a loss in share price of 13.79 percent. Marshall Monteagle Plc lost 8.48 percent as shares slid to end at ZAR 15.10, after 58,500 shares were traded. Renergen Limited tumbled by 8.18 percent to conclude at ZAR 15.61 a share after investors bought and sold 3,360 shares. Carlgro M3 Holdings Limited plunged by 7.60 percent after investors traded 90,043 shares, sending the share price sliding to ZAR 18.85. Bell Equipment Limited tumbled by 6.60 percent to end at ZAR 9.20 after exchanging 5,466 shares.

On the forex markets front, the South rand was weaker against US dollar at ZAR 12.9541 by depreciating by 020 percent and depreciated by 0.19 percent against British pound to trade at ZAR 20.3010. The rand also depreciated by 1.28 percent against the Euro to close at ZAR 14.7141.