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Johannesburg - The JSE opened modestly stronger on Friday in line with global equities, as encouraging US economic data boosted market sentiments.
By 09:20 local time, the JSE all share index was up slightly 0.17%, with platinum miners rising 0.28% and gold counters falling 0.46%. Resources were little changed (0.05%). Banks were also virtually flat (-0.05%), and financials were up slightly 0.12% and industrials gained 0.31%.
The rand was bid at R6.89 to the dollar, from R6.90 at the JSE's close on Thursday. Gold was quoted at $1 416.51 a troy ounce from $1 421.92/oz at the JSE's previous close, while platinum was at $1 831.50/oz from $1 839.50/oz before.
Mpho Mojalefa, a trader at BJM Private Client Services, said the US economic data on Thursday were really strong, indicating that the US economy was improving.
But Mojalefa said he expected trade to remain thin ahead of the closely watched payrolls report later today.
Dow Jones Newswires reported that Asian stock markets posted solid gains on Friday, cheered by Wall Street's charge higher and a retreat in oil prices on Thursday, while Japanese exporters' shares rose on the yen's weakness.
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average rose 1.2%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 1.1% and South Korea's Kospi Composite was 1.2% higher.
The Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.2%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 1.3%, Taiwan's main index gained 0.7% and India's Sensex added 1.1%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up seven points in screen trade.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.6% in New York on Thursday, and posted its biggest one-day gain since December 1 after solid jobless claims data and a pullback in oil prices.
European bourses are likely to start higher as markets overcome the shock of possible monetary tightening and focus on resilience in the US economy, with a key labour market report due on Friday.
By 09:20 local time, the JSE all share index was up slightly 0.17%, with platinum miners rising 0.28% and gold counters falling 0.46%. Resources were little changed (0.05%). Banks were also virtually flat (-0.05%), and financials were up slightly 0.12% and industrials gained 0.31%.
The rand was bid at R6.89 to the dollar, from R6.90 at the JSE's close on Thursday. Gold was quoted at $1 416.51 a troy ounce from $1 421.92/oz at the JSE's previous close, while platinum was at $1 831.50/oz from $1 839.50/oz before.
Mpho Mojalefa, a trader at BJM Private Client Services, said the US economic data on Thursday were really strong, indicating that the US economy was improving.
But Mojalefa said he expected trade to remain thin ahead of the closely watched payrolls report later today.
Dow Jones Newswires reported that Asian stock markets posted solid gains on Friday, cheered by Wall Street's charge higher and a retreat in oil prices on Thursday, while Japanese exporters' shares rose on the yen's weakness.
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average rose 1.2%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 1.1% and South Korea's Kospi Composite was 1.2% higher.
The Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.2%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 1.3%, Taiwan's main index gained 0.7% and India's Sensex added 1.1%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up seven points in screen trade.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.6% in New York on Thursday, and posted its biggest one-day gain since December 1 after solid jobless claims data and a pullback in oil prices.
European bourses are likely to start higher as markets overcome the shock of possible monetary tightening and focus on resilience in the US economy, with a key labour market report due on Friday.
