Johannesburg - General mining shares led a mild pullback on the JSE all-share index at noon on Tuesday‚ as SA equities played catch up with leading world markets following the public holiday in SA on Monday.
At 12:42 local time the JSE all-share index was down 0.42% at 36 055.52 points‚ with resources shedding 1.70% but banks lifting 0.88%.
Save for the release of disappointing German business confidence on Monday‚ there weren’t fresh catalysts driving market sentiment.
“Resource shares are coming under some pressure‚ playing catch up with world markets‚ after the German business confidence data struck a more bearish market tone‚” said Francois du Plessis‚ director at Vega Asset Management.
The US consumer confidence data due for release later in the session will occupy investors’ minds.
RMB said in a note the major market issue at the moment was when or even if Spain would formally request a bailout‚ thereby triggering the European Central Bank bond buying programme.
Among individual shares‚ Anglo American
[JSE:AGL] shed 2.74% to R253.35‚ BHP Billiton
[JSE:BIL] lost 1.87% to R258.50‚ Lonmin
[JSE:LON] dipped 4.09% to R76.85.
ArcelorMittal SA
[JSE:ACL] was off 2.07% to R42.50 and Exxaro Resources
[JSE:EXX] dropped 2.35% to R164.46.
Among industrials‚ Richemont
[JSE:CFR] dropped 2.06% to R51.80.
Banks bucked the trend‚ with Standard Bank Group
[JSE:SBK] gaining 1.19% to R106.76.
Among retailers‚ Lewis Group
[JSE:LEW] shed 2.32% to R73.70