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Johannesburg - The JSE lifted at the opening bell on Wednesday, boosted by Asian markets on renewed hopes that Greece was closer to agreeing to bailout conditions, as demanded by its creditors.
At 09:17 local time, the JSE All Share [JSE:J203] index was 0.56% in the black to 34 165.03 points, with gold index up 0.85%, while resources gained 0.85% and platinums added 0.37%.
Industrials lifted 0.46%, financials edged up 0.32%, and banks were up 0.22%
The rand was trading at R7.53 to the US dollar, from R7.56 at the JSE's close on Tuesday. Gold was quoted at $1 749.09 a troy ounce from $1 723.82/oz at the JSE's previous close, while platinum was at $1 651/oz, from $1 621.02/oz before.
"There seems to be optimism again that Greece is on track to agree to tough austerity measures, hence some positive sentiment this morning," said Viv Govender, market analyst at Vunani Private Clients Services.
Asian stock markets climbed modestly on Wednesday, helped by signs of progress over debt restructuring talks in Greece.
"We expect tight ranges to continue, possibly until we get a definitive solution from Greece," said IG Markets chief market analyst, Stan Shamu, in Melbourne.
The European Central Bank has made key concessions over its holdings of Greek government bonds, which will contribute to a reduction of the country's debt burden and smooth the path toward a new bailout for the country, said people briefed on Greece's debt-restructuring negotiations.
The decision by one of the Greek government's biggest creditors will narrow a gap in Greece's finances, helping pave the way for a debt-restructuring agreement with Greece's private-sector creditors and a new €130bn bailout from other eurozone governments and the International Monetary Fund.
A meeting among Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and the three party bosses supporting his coalition government over the new loan deal was pushed back, for the second time, to Wednesday.
European stock markets are likely to start mixed while investors wait for the simmering Greek debt talks to come to a boil.
US stock futures are mixed, after markets reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday, reversing early losses on optimism that the Greece talks were making progress and that the US Federal Reserve would keep interest rates low.
At 09:17 local time, the JSE All Share [JSE:J203] index was 0.56% in the black to 34 165.03 points, with gold index up 0.85%, while resources gained 0.85% and platinums added 0.37%.
Industrials lifted 0.46%, financials edged up 0.32%, and banks were up 0.22%
The rand was trading at R7.53 to the US dollar, from R7.56 at the JSE's close on Tuesday. Gold was quoted at $1 749.09 a troy ounce from $1 723.82/oz at the JSE's previous close, while platinum was at $1 651/oz, from $1 621.02/oz before.
"There seems to be optimism again that Greece is on track to agree to tough austerity measures, hence some positive sentiment this morning," said Viv Govender, market analyst at Vunani Private Clients Services.
Asian stock markets climbed modestly on Wednesday, helped by signs of progress over debt restructuring talks in Greece.
"We expect tight ranges to continue, possibly until we get a definitive solution from Greece," said IG Markets chief market analyst, Stan Shamu, in Melbourne.
The European Central Bank has made key concessions over its holdings of Greek government bonds, which will contribute to a reduction of the country's debt burden and smooth the path toward a new bailout for the country, said people briefed on Greece's debt-restructuring negotiations.
The decision by one of the Greek government's biggest creditors will narrow a gap in Greece's finances, helping pave the way for a debt-restructuring agreement with Greece's private-sector creditors and a new €130bn bailout from other eurozone governments and the International Monetary Fund.
A meeting among Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and the three party bosses supporting his coalition government over the new loan deal was pushed back, for the second time, to Wednesday.
European stock markets are likely to start mixed while investors wait for the simmering Greek debt talks to come to a boil.
US stock futures are mixed, after markets reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday, reversing early losses on optimism that the Greece talks were making progress and that the US Federal Reserve would keep interest rates low.
