South Africa Market Watch | 19 Oct 2015: Johannesburg Stock Exchange ends higher despite losses in gold and resource sectors

Johannesburg, South Africa Capital Markets in Africa —On Monday, Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) All Share (the broadest measure of the equity market performance) surged by 0.45 percent or 238.96 points to settle at 53,184.07 points and the benchmark JSE Top 40 index ended 260.22 points or 0.55 percent higher to end at 47,720.17 points.

Looking at the sector indices, financial sector index grew by 1.98 percent or 870.77 points at 44,830.98 points. Industrial sector index and industrial 25 index moved up by 0.53 percent to end at 7,9147.78 points and added 0.60 percent to trade at 71,283.67 points respectively. However, the resource index declined by 2.87 percent or 1,026.82 points to settled at 34,784.27 points and the Gold mining sector index sagged by 4.60 percent with a closing level of 1,074.42 points.

Looking at the market strength/breath (measured as ratio of gainers to losers), the market recorded 143 price gainers and 101 price losers, hence market strength/breathe closed in negative zone.  Out of the top gainers was Rare Holdings Limited, whose shares added 18.16 percent to end at ZAR 2.60 after investors exchanged 916 shares only. Hospitality Property Fund B surged by 6.35 percent after traded 205,00 shares, boosting the share price to ZAR 3.35. NVest Financial Holdings Limited climbed by 5.77 percent to end at ZAR 2.75 after investors traded 165,000 shares. Trencor Limited grew by 5.28 percent to end at ZAR 55.47 after exchanged a total of 87,714 shares. Dipula Income Fund Limited B climbed by 4.76 percent to end at ZAR 11.00 after trading 62,294 shares.

On the losers’ table Lonmin Plc whose shares fell to ZAR 5.87 after 1,913,656 shares were bought and sold, resulting in a fall of 13.42 percent. Renergen Limited plunged by 12.75 percent to close at ZAR 13.00, after 332 shares were traded. Randgold & Exploration Company Limited fell by 11.94 percent to trade at ZAR 1.77 a share after investors bought and sold 26,719 shares. RBA Holdings Limited plummeted by 11.54 percent to trade at ZAR 1.15 after 72,164 stocks. After investors bought and sold 8,210 shares, THARISA Plc sagged by 9.09 percent to trade at ZAR 5.00.

On the forex markets front, the South rand was weaker against US dollar at ZAR 13.2715 after giving up 1.42 percent and against British pound to trade at ZAR 20.4987 after dropping 1.66 percent. The rand also sagged by 1.17 percent against the Euro to close at ZAR 15.0225.