JSE closes higher on Thursday
Xinhua, February 17, 2017 Adjust font size:
Shares on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) closed slightly firmer on Thursday, as the U.S. dollar pulled down the rand providing support for gold miners and some industrials.
Although the U.S. dollar was hugely supported by positive inflation and retail data, the South African rand broke through R13 against the U.S. dollar, trading at R12.93 at 5:00 p.m. (CAT).
The all share was up 0.19 percent at 52,586.37 points, and the blue-chip top 40 gained 0.16 percent.
The major indices were mixed, with gold miners up 0.21 percent and industrials up 0.55 percent. Banks were flat, after three of the largest local players were allegedly involved in a price-fixing scandal connected to foreign exchange trading.
Standard Bank was down 0.03 percent to R148.32 and Barclays Africa lost 0.48 percent to R162.97.
Diversified miner Anglo American lost 3.06 percent to R219.89.
Rand-hedge stocks were mixed. British American Tobacco gained 0.07 percent to R803.16, while Stienhoff shed 0.38 percent to R67.73.
Gold Fields was up 0.38 percent to R45, Woolworths slid 3.94 percent to R71, while Naspers was up 2.24 percent to R2,166.45. Endit