JSE closes lower, pulled by global risk-off trade

JOHANNESBURG, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) fell slightly on Thursday, pulled by global risk-off trade, while banking and financial stocks remained buoyant.

The local currency, rand, weakened to an intraday low of 11.94 to the U.S. dollar, pressured by heightened perception that U.S. interest rates could rise three times this year.

The all-share index closed 0.69 percent lower at 57,923.16 points, and the top 40 shed 0.72 percent.

Resources dropped 2.73 percent, general retailers 1.09 percent, platinums 0.77 percent and industrials 0.42 percent.

Banks gained 0.49 percent, financials 0.19 percent and food and drug retailers 0.16 percent.

Rand hedge Anheuser-Busch InBev leapt 3.85 percent to R1,309.9 after it earlier reported a 5.1 percent increase in revenue to 45.5 billion dollars for the year to end-December.

Petrochemical company Sasol eased 3.15 percent to R403.36, Anglo American 2.94 percent to R283.9, and BHP 1.49 percent to R241.22.

Sibanye-Stillwater gained 0.7 percent to R11.43 and Impala Platinum 2.33 percent to R30.80, helped in part by the weaker rand.

Capitec, which missed out on the so-called Ramaphosa rally as a result of a critical Viceroy Research report, regained 2.47 percent to R853.03. Santam slipped 1.73 percent to R301.68.

Private equity group Brait lost 2.21 percent to R43.86, but ended February with gains of 16 percent.

Scandal-ridden Steinhoff tumbled 10.07 percent to R5.1, while Pick n Pay gave up 4.62 percent to R69.30.

Ascendis Health added 15.35 percent to R13.69, after earlier reporting a 20 percent rise in first-half normalized headline earnings. Netcare slipped 1.57 percent to R25.1.

Growthpoint rose 1.73 percent to R30.01 but Resilient shed 3.57 percent to R63.99.

Naspers gained 0.78 percent to R3,296.59. Enditem