JSE lifts slightly led by banks, as rand cheers soft Brexit

The JSE edged higher on Thursday morning, boosted by a weaker dollar, which helped provide support for local banks and miners.

A combination of cooling fears of a hard Brexit, as well as comments by US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell about slowing economic growth in 2019, put the greenback under mild pressure.

At 9.33am the all share was up 0.24% to 52,123.8 points, and the top 40 had risen 0.24%. Banks had added 0.66%, food and drug retailers 0.54% and resources 0.43%.

Gold was up 0.16% to $1,212.85 an ounce and platinum 0.36% to $838.34. Brent crude was 0.67% higher at $66.28 a barrel.

Economic data has taken a back seat, although US retail sales data at 3.30pm will get some attention.

The local corporate calendar is somewhat busy. Investec gained 0.85% to R92.78, after earlier declaring an interim dividend of 11 UK pence for the six months to end-September, a slight increase from the prior period’s 10.5p.

Mediclinic fell 0.95% to R66.01 having earlier left its dividend for the year to end-September unchanged at 3.2p, reporting that during the period it fell 1% in pound terms, but rose 2% when adjusted for rand depreciation.

Sappi fell 0.2% to R80.88, after reporting earlier that profit for the year to end-September fell to $323m from the prior period’s $338m. The paper and pulp producer, however, upped its dividend to 17c from the prior period’s 15c.

Rand hedge AB InBev gained 0.92% to R1,077.37, while British American Tobacco edged 1.45% lower to R524.94.

Sibanye-Stillwater firmed 4.05% to R8.74, as the company continues to grapple with competition authorities over its takeover of Lonmin.

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Source: businesslive.co.za