Economic data took a backseat to politics, but US retail sales data surprised to the upside, growing 0.8% month on month in October, compared to a consensus forecast of a rise of 0.5%.
The oil price also climbed a little, settling after a 12-day losing streak, but motorists are still expecting a petrol price cut of about R1.50 a litre in December.
The rand was boosted by interest-rate increases in Indonesia and the Philippines, which helped improve sentiment towards emerging markets.
Local data was absent, and the rand only reacted briefly to news that Parliament’s constitutional review committee had adopted a report endorsing expropriation of land without compensation.
Rand hedge Richemont lost 3.55% to R93.90, British American Tobacco 2.85% to R517.50, while AB InBev added 3.04% to R1,100.
Investec lost 3.12% to R89.13, after saying earlier that the group grew its overall operating profit 3% to £383m in the six months to end-September. Investec’s UK asset management division reported the fastest growth of 13.8% in operating profit to £56.8m, contributing 15% of the group’s total.
Mediclinic gave up 5.18% to R63.19, 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 gained 1.49% to R82.25, 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 17 US cents from the prior period’s 15c.
Shortly after the JSE closed the Dow had fallen 0.47% to 24,961.42 points, while in Europe the FTSE 100 had lost 0.5%, the CAC 40 0.94% and the DAX 30 0.45%.
Platinum had lost 0.43% to $831.71 an ounce and gold 0.17% to $1,1212.98. Brent crude was 1.4% higher at $66.76 a barrel.