The JSE ended slightly higher on Friday inspired by gains in overseas markets, but it came off from its intraday highs as precious metals pulled back along with crude oil prices, traders said.

The all share index ended 0.36 percent higher, with resources finishing 0.45 percent weaker. Gold miners fell 1.13 percent but the platinum mining index gained 1.79 percent.

Banks were up 1.44 percent, industrials added 0.85 percent and financials were 1.64 percent in the black.

The rand was bid at 7.64 to the dollar from 7.65 when the JSE closed on Thursday, while gold was quoted at $824.85 a troy ounce from $837.13 at the JSE's last close. Platinum was last at $1424/oz, down $25.50 from its overnight close.

"We are saw a pull back in precious metal prices along with the decline in crude oil and that's upsetting sentiment for mining stocks," one trader said, adding that the week had been volatile due to the uncertainty about the commodity prices.

In the US, stocks rose on speculation that white knights may emerge for some of the market's most distressed financial stocks, and as oil prices gave back some of Thursday's gains, Dow Jones Newswires reports.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average recently rose 119, or one percent, to 11 547. The broad Standard & Poor's 500 added 10, or 0.8 percent, to 1288. The Nasdaq Composite rose 20, or 0.8 percent, to 2400.

On the JSE, resource giant Anglo American was off 1.91 percent at 408.50 rand and BHP Billiton reversed 79 cents to 240.90 rand.

Synthetic fuels maker Sasol gained nine cents to 418.99 rand.

Gold miner AngloGold Ashanti was 2.20 percent weaker at 206.60 rand, but Harmony added 40 cents to 63.40 rand, and Gold Fields was down 56 cents to 68.50 rand. It said earlier that its subsidiary Gold Fields Operations, formerly known as Western Areas, had received a summons from Randgold and Exploration and African Strategic Investment Holdings related to claims of up to R11-billion.

Among platinum miners Anglo Platinum was up 2.91 percent to 921 rand and Impala Platinum rose 1.38 percent at 220 rand.

Among industrials, brewer SABMiller was up 2.11 percent at 162.86 rand and Richemont gained 1.50 percent to 43.96 rand.

Banking group Nedbank rallied 3.96 percent to 105 rand and Absa climbed 3.50 percent to 106.60 rand.

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