South Africa Market Watch | 3 July 2015: South African JSE falls 0.48%, losses led by resources but gold index adds 2.15%

Johannesburg, South Africa (Capital Markets in Africa) —South African equity markets returned to negative at end of today’s trading session. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) All Share finished 0.48 percent or 248.39 points lower to close at 51,967.08 points. The JSE Top 40 index also declined by  0.58 percent or 272.17 points to end at 46,355.60 points and JSE Financial sector index lost 0.97 points at 43,855.98 points. Both Industrial sector index and industrial 25 index fell by 0.52 percent (to end at 75,288.49) and 0.64 percent (to settle at 67,132.58) respectively. Likewise, the resource sector index tumbled by 1.03 percent with a closing level of 38,66.95. However, the JSE Gold index climbed by 2.15 percent at 1,005.66 level.

Looking at the market strength and breath, the market recorded 183 upward movers and 188 downward movers as well as 68 stayers, hence market strength ends in negative. Amongst the top ten movers upwards on Friday was Arcelormittal SA advanced 13.33 percent to sell at ZAR 12.24 a share, after investors exchanged 563,139 shares in 599 deals. Finbond Group rose 5.06 percent after 36 deals traded 181,468 shares, boosting the share price to ZAR 4.57.

Kumba Iron Ore slid 5.72 percent after 763,689 shares were exchanged in 3,389 deals, sending the share price down to ZAR 132.49. After investors bought and sold 2,017,683 shares in 2,591 deals, Telkom SA  fell 4.72% to ZAR 59.50 a share at market close.

On the foreign exchange market, the South African Rand was weaker, trading at ZAR12.29 to the US dollar, ZAR 19.13 to the British pound and ZAR 13.64 to the Euro, by losing 0.47 percent, 0.37 percent and 0.57 percent respectively. However, the Rand marginally rose by 0.04 percent against the New Zealand dollar to trade at ZAR 8.23.