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Johannesburg - South African stocks ended little-changed on Thursday as a recovery in shares of Shoprite was counterbalanced by a decline in bullion producers such as AngloGold Ashanti after a drop in gold.
Shares of African Bank Investment rose more than 5% to R19.40 after the mass-market lender said it agreed to pay a regulatory fine of R20m for reckless lending, well below what investors had expected.
Sentiment was dented by the budget fight in the United States that has shut down the government of the world's largest economy for three straight days.
"People are still concerned about the US government shutdown because one doesn't know how long this is will go on," said Greg Davies, an equities trader at brokerage Cratos Capital. "It has created a lot of uncertainty."
The benchmark Top 40 - (Tradeable) [JSE:J200] index inched up 0.02% to 39 370.63. The All Share [JSE:J203] index, the widest measure of South African stock market performance, added 0.09% to 44 006.86.
Shoprite Holdings, Africa's largest retailer, rose 3% to R171.30. Shares of the company are still down 16 percent this year, as investors have cashed profits after years of heady gains, including a 50% surge last year.
AngloGold Ashanti, Africa's top producer of the precious metal, fell 1.8% to R129.35. Bullion fell as investors booked profits after the previous session's gains due to uncertainty about the US government shutdown.
Shares of Anglo American Platinum, the world's top producer of the precious metal, rose 0.6% to R410. The company said it is losing an average of 3 100 ounces of production a day from a strike at its South African operations.
Trade activity was relatively slow with 166 million shares changing hands, according to preliminary bourse data. A total of 167 shares advanced, 144 declined and 67 were unchanged.
Shares of African Bank Investment rose more than 5% to R19.40 after the mass-market lender said it agreed to pay a regulatory fine of R20m for reckless lending, well below what investors had expected.
Sentiment was dented by the budget fight in the United States that has shut down the government of the world's largest economy for three straight days.
"People are still concerned about the US government shutdown because one doesn't know how long this is will go on," said Greg Davies, an equities trader at brokerage Cratos Capital. "It has created a lot of uncertainty."
The benchmark Top 40 - (Tradeable) [JSE:J200] index inched up 0.02% to 39 370.63. The All Share [JSE:J203] index, the widest measure of South African stock market performance, added 0.09% to 44 006.86.
Shoprite Holdings, Africa's largest retailer, rose 3% to R171.30. Shares of the company are still down 16 percent this year, as investors have cashed profits after years of heady gains, including a 50% surge last year.
AngloGold Ashanti, Africa's top producer of the precious metal, fell 1.8% to R129.35. Bullion fell as investors booked profits after the previous session's gains due to uncertainty about the US government shutdown.
Shares of Anglo American Platinum, the world's top producer of the precious metal, rose 0.6% to R410. The company said it is losing an average of 3 100 ounces of production a day from a strike at its South African operations.
Trade activity was relatively slow with 166 million shares changing hands, according to preliminary bourse data. A total of 167 shares advanced, 144 declined and 67 were unchanged.
