Money SA economy
The JSE ended weaker across the board on Tuesday as disappointing US consumer confidence data and the strong rand weighed on the market, capping a frustrating day that saw trading delayed for about six hours.
The local market traded for an additional hour to make up for some of the time lost due to the technical glitch, closing at 18:00.
According to the JSE, the number of trades on the JSE today was 69,499. The average daily number of trades for the first five months of 2010 was 99,128.
The JSE all share index shed 0.26%, as platinum miners declined 1.49%, gold miners plunged 2.13%, and resources fell 0.16%.
Banks weakened 0.73%, financials lost 0.19% and industrials edged down 0.39%. Gold was quoted at $1,159.64/oz from $1,181.43/oz at the JSE's previous close, while platinum was at $1,536.00/oz from $1,546.50/oz before.
A trader said US consumer confidence and the strength of the rand helped push shares lower. The rand continued to confound government on Tuesday, maintaining its firm run against most major currencies.
The JSE confirmed that the technical glitch was due to the local bourse's international link between the exchange and the London Stock Exchange. The technical problem halted trading shortly after the market opened at 09:00.
On the JSE, Anglo American Plc rose R1.50 to R290.00, and BHP Billiton gained R2.84 or 1.27% to R226.49. Sasol ended flat at R294.50.
