South Africa Equity Markets | 12 Oct 2015: JSE equity markets lower, key indices down, gold index higher

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa — The South Africa equity began the week on a negative note, Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) All Share index closed 1.01 percent or 538.04 points lower to close at 52,757.60 points. The JSE Top 40 index also sagged by 568.12 points or 1.19 percent to end at 47,241.76 points.

Looking at the sector indices, JSE financial sector index shrunk by 0.55 percent to end at 44,213.06 points. Both Industrial and industrial 25 sector indexes declined by 1.15 percent to close at 77,679.03 points and lower by 1.21 percent to settle at 69,779.23 points respectively. The resource index lost 1.14 percent or 425.83 points to close at 37,013.68 points but the Gold mining sector index gained 2.78 percent or 30.22 points with a closing level of 1,119.08 points.

From the market strength/breath (measured as ratio of gainers to losers), the market recorded 158 price ups, 200 price downs and 56 remained unchanged, hence market strength/breathe closed negative.  Out of the top leaders was Delta Emd Limited, whose shares added 9.09 percent to close at ZAR 3.00 after investors exchanged 8,420 shares. Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited climbed by 8.51 percent after traded 2,370,856 shares, boosting the share price to ZAR 10.33. Telemaster Holdings Limited also jumped by 8.33 percent to end at ZAR 1.30 after investors traded 901 shares. Putprop Limited gained 7.52 percent to end at ZAR 7.15 after exchanged a total of 1,400 shares. Conduit Capital Limited rose by 6.88 percent to end at ZAR 3.42 after trading 90,648 shares.

On the laggards’ chart was Synergy Income Fund B L/u whose shares reduce to ZAR 6.00 after 20 shares were bought and sold, resulting in a reduction of 6.00 percent. Lonmin Plc sagged by 10.14 percent to close at ZAR 7.25, after 9,020,326 shares were traded. Caxton & Ctp Publishers & Printers Limited plummeted by 7.46 percent to trade at ZAR 17.00 a share after investors bought and sold 84,543 shares. Wescoal Holdings Limited sagged by 7.03 percent to trade at ZAR 1.19 after 90,934 traded deals. After investors bought and sold 118,641 shares, African Equity Empowerment Investments Limited fell by 6.25 percent to trade at ZAR 3.00.

On the currency markets front, the South rand was stronger against US dollar at ZAR 13.2926 after gaining 0.48 percent and against British pound to close at ZAR 20.3698 after appreciated by 0.19 percent. However, the rand depreciated by 0.33 percent against the Euro to close at ZAR 15.1091.