ALSIFTSE/JSE All Share Index

Understanding the composite measure

The FTSE/JSE All Share Index tracks the combined performance of a broad set of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Rather than following a single stock, it aggregates many listings into one composite reading, giving a view of how the listed market as a whole is behaving.

That reading is expressed as an index level, calculated relative to a chosen base period. The base is assigned a starting value, and later levels show how the aggregate has moved since then. This construction lets the index compare market conditions across time without being tied to the rand price of any individual security. A level of the index therefore describes the basket, not a tradable price.

How a reader can use it

• As a gauge of overall market direction, showing whether listed equities broadly advanced or retreated over a period.
• As context when reviewing a portfolio, to see whether a holding moved with the wider market or diverged from it.
• As a reference point for comparing different periods on a consistent basis.

What it cannot tell you

The composite reflects the aggregate of its constituents, weighted by their size. It does not describe the fate of any single company, and it cannot speak to the holdings in your own account. A reader should treat the index as a broad barometer, not as a verdict on individual positions. The page is built automatically from public data and presents information only.