South Africa Equity Markets | 08 Oct 2015: Positive Momentum Persists, JSE All Share closes 0.31% higher, Financial index 0.52% lower …

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa — On Thursday, the South African equity markets continued on the positive momentum, with major indices ended higher except the financial sector index. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) All Share index closed 0.31 percent or 161.8 points higher to close at 52,726.60 points. The JSE Top 40 index also soared by 130.87 points or 0.28 percent to end at 47,293.81 points.

Looking at the sector indices, JSE financial sector index sagged by 0.52 percent to end at 44,232.53 points. Both Industrial and industrial 25 sector indices advanced by 0.38 percent to close at 78,059.73 points and increased by 0.40 percent to settle at 70,183.51 points respectively. The resource index rose by 1.49 percent or 528.19 points to close at 35,873.53 points and the Gold mining sector index soared by 2.26 percent or 23.17 points with a closing level of 1,049.33 points.

From the market strength/breadth (measured as ratio of gainers to losers), the market recorded 163 price ups, 166 price downs and 53 remained unchanged, hence market strength/breadth closed negative.  Out of the top leaders was Masonite (Africa) Limited, whose shares added 18.75 percent to close at ZAR 28.50 after investors exchanged 26,163 shares. Marshall Monteagle Plc jumped by 16.50 percent after traded 320 shares, boosting the share price to ZAR 16.50. Central Rand Gold Ltd also climbed by 9.27 percent to end at ZAR 16.50 after investors traded 5,400 shares. Arcelormittal Sa Limited grew by 8.54 percent to end at ZAR 10.80 after exchanged a total of 1,205,053 shares. York Timber Holdings Limited climbed by 8.33 percent to end at ZAR 2.60 after trading 460,158 shares.

 On the laggards’ chart was Glencore Xstrata Plc whose shares fell to ZAR 24.03 after 5,916,491 shares were bought and sold, resulting in a decrease of 7.43 percent. Onelogix Group Limited tumbled by 6.25 percent to close at ZAR 4.50, after 53,705 shares were traded. Wescoal Holdings Limited plunged by 5.74 percent to trade at ZAR 1.15 a share after investors bought and sold 588,941 shares. African Oxygen Limited sagged by 5.31 percent to trade at ZAR 14.10 after 280,142 traded deals. After investors bought and sold 851,500 shares, Labat Africa Limited slacked by 5.19 percent to trade at ZAR 1.28.

On the currency markets front, the South rand was stronger against US dollar at ZAR 13.3930 after gaining 0.63 percent and against British pound to close at ZAR 20.4817 after appreciating by 0.55 percent. However, the rand depreciated by 0.17 percent against the Euro to close at ZAR 15.1066.