South Africa Equity Markets | 1 Sep 2015: South African equity markets follow global markets down trend, all sectors lower

Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa — South African equity markets followed global downward trend. JSE All Share closed 2.92 percent or 1,457.20 points higher to end at 48,515.13 points and the JSE Top 40 index massively fell by 1,370.34 points or 3.09 percent to end at 42,979.77 points.

JSE Financial sector index sagged by 2.98 percent or 1,303.22 points at 42,500.12 points. Both Industrial sector index and industrial 25 index declined by 2.55 percent to close at 70,218.28 points and 2.72 percent to settle at 62,445.25 points respectively. The resource index plunged by 4.66 percent or 1,668.79 points to close at 34,164.55 points and the Gold mining sector index slumped by 2.24 percent with a closing level of 961.98 points.

Looking at the market strength/breath (measured as ratio of gainers to losers), the market recorded 96 price gainers, 262 price losers and 46 remained unchanged, hence market strength/breathe ended negative.  Amongst the top gainers was Eqstra Holdings Limited, whose shares climbed by 15.25 percent to end at ZAR 3.25 after investors exchanged 5,589,438 shares. Drdgold Limited rose 13.97 percent after traded 2,780,150 shares, boosting the share price to ZAR 2.04. Kibomining Limited also soared by 13.33 percent to end at ZAR 1.19 after investors traded 20,000 shares. Randgold & Exploration Company Limited advanced by 9.30 percent to ZAR 2.35 after exchanged a total of 1,315 shares. Silverbridge Holdings Limited surged by 7.34 percent to end at ZAR 1.90 after trading 1,000 shares.

Among the top losers was, Oceana Group Limited whose shares plunged to ZAR 18.00 after 63,833 shares were bought and sold, resulting in a fall of 17.05 percent. Mr Price Group Limited slumped by 13.25 percent to end at ZAR 207.01, after 4,954,228 shares were traded. Glencore Xstrata Plc tumbled by 10.33 percent to conclude at ZAR 27.53 a share after investors bought and sold 4,556,687 shares. Bell Equipment Limited also plunged by 9.95 percent to conclude at ZAR 8.60 after 7,715 deals. After investors bought and sold 88,593 shares, Wilderness Holdings Limited sagged by 9.31 percent to trade at ZAR 5.26.

On the currency markets front, the South rand was weaker against US dollar at ZAR 13.4133 after appreciated by 1.20 percent and also against British pound to trade at ZAR 20.5050 after adding 0.91 percent. The rand also sagged by 1.96 percent against the Euro to close at ZAR 15.1582.