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The JSE
closed firmer on Friday, after a cautious trading session where volatility was
relatively subdued.
Retailers rebounded, following consecutive sessions of significant pressure. The day’s top gainers included The Foschini Group [JSE:TFG], Mr Price [JSE:MRP] and Woolworths [JSE:WHL] which ended the day up 5.81%, 3.96% and 3.77% respectively.
Pharmacists Clicks [JSE:CLS] and Dis-Chem [JSE:DCP] found some reprieve as they managed to add 5.85% and 7.25% respectively.
Bankers Capitec Holdings [JSE:CPI] and Barclays Africa [JSE:BGA] gained 4.77% and 3.06% respectively.
Balwin Properties [JSE:BWN] closed at R5.43 per share after gaining 5.85%, while Tsogo Sun [JSE:TSH] added 4.1% to close at R22.28 per share.
Sanlam [JSE:SLM] and Old Mutual [JSE:OML] gained 2.63% and 0.34% respectively, while Imperial Holdings [JSE:IPL] and Bidvest [JSE:BVT] managed to gain 1.95% and 2.8% respectively.
Miners Sibanye-Stillwater [JSE:SGL] and Lonmin [JSE:LON] slid even further to end the day 5.13% and 4.69% weaker respectively.
Listed property stocks Fortress B [JSE:FFB] and Resilient [JSE:RES] shed 3.09% and 2.3% respectively, while Zeder Investments [JSE:ZED] and Distell [JSE:DST] lost 0.88% and 1.03% respectively.
On the blue-chip index, diversified miners Anglo American [JSE:AGL] and BHP Billiton [JSE:BIL] lost 0.84% and 1.14% respectively, while oil and gas producer Sasol [JSE:SOL] closed 1.89% weaker.
Gold Fields [JSE:GFI] closed 1.09% weaker, while Sappi [JSE:SAP] ended the day 1.81% softer.
The JSE All-Share Index eventually closed 0.38% firmer, while the JSE Top-40 Index added 0.39%.
Gains were recorded across the most of the major indices; however, the Resources Index bucked this trend to end the day down 1.18%. The Industrials and Financials indices recorded gains of 0.6% and 1.73% respectively.
The rand weakened from its overnights highs against the US dollar after the greenback regained its upward momentum to reach its strongest level in 2018.
The local unit was trading at R12.50/$ at 17:00, after reaching a session low of R12.53/$.
Gold traded relatively flat despite the rebound in the US dollar.
At 17:00 the precious metal was trading at $1303.14 per ounce, while platinum and palladium were weaker on the day to trade at $900.53/oz and $970.45/oz respectively.
Brent crude slumped by more than 2.5% after Saudi Arabia said that it expects OPEC and its partners to increase oil supplies later on in the year.
The commodity reached a session low of $76.62 per barrel and risks for more downside where prevalent when the JSE closed. Brent crude was trading at $76.71/barrel just after the JSE close.
Trading in Bitcoin was relatively muted following the minor sell-off recorded in the previous session.
Bitcoin was trading at $7467.40 per coin at 17:00.
However, Ethereum traded firmer on the day which saw the coin add 1.18% to trade at $594.56 per coin at 17:00.
