The JSE opened weaker on Wednesday in quiet trade with the all share showing little reaction to a stronger Dow closure and the Nikkei recording strong gains in Asian trade. Retailers opened weaker but gold shares recovered. The Dow Jones closed 0.60% higher in the first trading day of 2017, with the industrial average index again aiming for 20,000, the level it failed to break through in 2016 despite gaining 13.4% in 2016. It closed at 19,881.76. Analysts expected the Dow to cross 20,000 over the short-term, similar to the rise by the FTSE 100. The UK benchmark index hovered below the 7,000 level for a period after the Brexit vote on June 23, before closing at a record high of 7.205,45 on Monday. The Nikkei 225 was 2.51% higher as the weaker yen supported financial and property stocks. Sentiment in Asia remained positive after China’s factory output rose to a near six-year high in December, purchasing managers data showed. European bourses were marginally higher on Monday. The rand ...
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