Best and worst performing JSE top 40 shares in 2015
2015 was a difficult year for many companies, and the country’s biggest listed groups were no exception.
With continued strain in the mining sector – as well as dubious moves by government severely impacting the country’s financial sector – the year was a mixed bag of success and struggle for the JSE top 40.
Among the successes for the year, investment and holding groups fared well, with some such as Brait SE more than doubling their value over the course of the year.
While the banking sector was hit hard by President Jacob Zuma’s move to sack finance minister Nhlanhla Nene, Capitec managed to buck the trend and shoot up its share value by over 65% – one of the best performances in the top 40.
These are the best performers in the top 40 for 2015.
| Company | January Share Price (ZAR) | December Share Price (ZAR) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brait | 78.00 | 17008 | 118.1% |
| PSG | 129.42 | 229.00 | 76.9% |
| Capitec | 339.50 | 561.00 | 65.2% |
| Mondi PLC | 188.43 | 309.70 | 64.4% |
| New Europe Property Investments | 114.20 | 177.81 | 55.7% |
| SABMiller | 599.11 | 927.15 | 54.8% |
| Capital & County | 66.31 | 101.39 | 52.9% |
| Naspers | 1 529.22 | 2 149.00 | 40.5% |
| BAT | 627.01 | 853.20 | 36.1% |
| Steinhoff | 59.09 | 79.01 | 33.7% |
| Woolworths | 76.25 | 100.10 | 31.3% |
| Discovery | 106.50 | 136.50 | 28.2% |
| Reinet | 25.03 | 31.50 | 25.8% |
| Mediclinic | 98.20 | 121.00 | 23.2% |
| Intu Properties | 60.10 | 73.50 | 22.3% |
| Vodacom | 126.31 | 153.55 | 21.6% |
| Old Mutual | 34.40 | 41.40 | 20.3% |
| Investec PLC | 97.05 | 112.70 | 16.1% |
| Bidvest | 301.31 | 342.23 | 13.6% |
| Richemont | 104.70 | 112.40 | 7.4% |
| Remgro | 249.00 | 256.98 | 3.2% |
The top 40 companies listed below are based on their market capitalization. Overall, the performance in the group is split down the middle, with 21 companies increasing share value over the year and 19 companies losing value.
Among the worst performers, mining groups remained under pressure, with the likes of Anglo American, Glencore and Anglo Platinum falling hardest in 2015.
Standard Bank, Barclays Africa (Absa) and Nedbank all sank on the aforementioned finance minister debacle, and in the tech sector, MTN was hit hard by a massive fine coming out of Nigeria.
These are the worst performers in the top 40 for 2015.
| Company | January Share Price (ZAR) | December Share Price (ZAR) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anglo American | 213.70 | 74.14 | -65.3% |
| Glencore | 53.11 | 20.79 | -60.9% |
| Anglo Platinum | 349.00 | 197.84 | -43.3% |
| South32 | 20.24 | 12.00 | -40.7% |
| MTN | 217.00 | 139.00 | -35.9% |
| Aspen Pharma | 406.30 | 308.00 | -24.2% |
| BHP Billiton | 231.37 | 178.23 | -23.0% |
| Nedbank | 244.40 | 195.82 | -19.9% |
| Barclays Africa | 179.89 | 149.00 | -17.2% |
| Standard Bank | 142.26 | 117.93 | -17.1% |
| Tiger Brands | 367.09 | 316.59 | -13.8% |
| Growthpoint Properties | 27.13 | 23.86 | -12.1% |
| Shoprite | 168.75 | 148.89 | -11.8% |
| Sanlam | 69.32 | 61.30 | -11.6% |
| FirstRand | 50.02 | 44.46 | -11.1% |
| Mr Price | 222.00 | 204.99 | -7.7% |
| RMB Holdings | 63.36 | 58.95 | -7.0% |
| Sasol | 431.00 | 426.00 | -1.2% |
| RMI Holdings | 40.54 | 40.14 | -1.0% |
Share prices taken from Bloomberg for 2 January 2015 and 28 December 2015
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