* Blue chips in biggest fall in over 3 months
* Lonmin slides over 5 percent
By Ed Stoddard
JOHANNESBURG, March 6 (Reuters) – Miners such as
Lonmin were felled by a slide in metal prices and led
South African shares lower on Tuesday, with blue chips posting
their biggest one-day loss in over 3 months.
The benchmark blue-chip Top-40 index shed 2.07
percent to 29,612.31, its biggest fall since late November,
while the broader All-Share index gave up 1.89 percent
to 33,387.04.
Global markets were down but Johannesburg was harder hit
than most, as big resource shares were bled by dimming prospects
for the global economy and demand for the key commodities that
drive it.
European shares hit a one-week low and the euro fell as
riskier assets also bore the brunt of fears that Greece may not
be able to complete a major debt restructuring deal.
Gold prices fell 2 percent and platinum shed
almost 3 percent, nearing $1,600 an ounce.
Lonmin, the world’s third-largest platinum producer which
was the worst performer among Johannesburg blue chips last year,
plunged almost 5.50 percent.
Continued…
