South Africa Equity Markets | 15 Oct 2015: South Africa’s stock falter, rand firms on weak U.S data

Johannesburg, South Africa Capital Markets in Africa —Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) All Share (the broadest measure of the equity market performance) down by 0.17 percent or 92.64 points to settle at 52,966.42 points and the benchmark JSE Top 40 index ended 149.16 points or 0.31 percent lower to end at 47,462.98 points.

Looking at the sector indices, financial sector index grew by 0.48 percent or 211.46 points at 44,009.78 points. Industrial sector index and industrial 25 index slumped by 0.23 percent to end at 78,570.38 points and slacked by 0.28 percent to trade at 70,715.84 points respectively. The resource index declined by 1.15 percent or 422.33 points to settled at 36,269.24 points but the Gold mining sector index added 0.24 percent with a closing level of 1,126.54 points.

Looking at the market strength/breath (measured as ratio of gainers to losers), the market recorded 185 price gainers, 165 price losers and 65 remained unchanged, hence market strength/breathe closed positive.  Out of the top gainers was Randgold & Exploration Company Limited, whose shares rose by 19.64 percent to end at ZAR 2.01 after investors exchanged 10,224 shares. Oando Plc surged by 11.00 percent after traded 164,040 shares, boosting the share price to ZAR 1.11 Alaris Holdings Limited climbed by 8.70 percent to end at ZAR 1.50 after investors traded 103,116 shares. Niveus Investments Limited grew by 8.38 percent to end at ZAR 26.00 after exchanged a total of 15,000 shares. Comair Limited climbed by 8.28 percent to end at ZAR 3.37 after trading 1,116,267 shares.

On the losers’ table Elb Group Limited whose shares fell to ZAR 24.11 after 19,304 shares were bought and sold, resulting in a fall of 18.27 percent. Cullinan Holdings Limited plunged by 12.50 percent to close at ZAR 1.40, after 22 shares were traded. Rba Holdings Limited fell by 10.34 percent to trade at ZAR 1.30 a share after investors bought and sold 2,475 shares. Delta Emd Limited plummeted by 7.69 percent to trade at ZAR 2.40 after 12 deals. After investors bought and sold 5,493,159 shares, Balwin Properties Limited sagged by 7.27 percent to trade at ZAR 10.20.

On the forex markets front, the South rand was stronger against US dollar at ZAR 13.0630 after adding 1.05 percent and against British pound to trade at ZAR 20.1759 after gaining 1.19 percent. The rand also surged by 2.04 percent against the Euro to close at ZAR 14.8584.