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South African stocks close in red after national budget speech

Xinhua, February 23, 2017 Adjust font size:

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) closed weaker on Wednesday after Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan delivered the budget speech in Parliament.

The all share was down 0.95 percent to 52,088.56 points, and the blue-chip top 40 shed 1.06 percent. Banks, financials, and resources were the biggest losers, with all the major indices taking a hit.

Diversified miner BHP Billion shed 3.13 percent to R221.89 and Anglo American lost 3.27 percent to R21.171.

Rand hedge stocks were mixed, with British American Tobacco gaining 0.07 percent to R813.85 while Richemont lost 0.39 percent to R99.53 and AB InBev lost 0.97 percent to R1,418.99.

AngloGold Ashanti was 4.39 percent lower at R157.79 and Gold Fields loast 0.14 percent to R42.14.

Among the banking sector, Standard bank tumbled 0.28 percent to R143.96.

Shoprite and Steinhoff were down after having rallied for the past two days on news that their proposed merger was canceled. Shoprite lost 1.4 percent to R191.89 and Steinhoff lost 1.47 percent to R70.94. Endit