The JSE eased slightly from its noon highs, but managed to end 144 points firmer on Thursday in what a trader said had been a "lacklustre" session.

By 5pm the JSE all share index had collected 0.65 percent, with resources up 0.75 percent. Gold counters weakened 0.94 percent, with platinum miners putting on 0.99 percent.

Banks were up 0.84 percent, financials also collected 0.84 percent and industrials edged up 0.45 percent.

The rand was 8.15 to the dollar from 8.14 when the JSE closed on Wednesday. Gold was quoted at $913.40/oz a troy ounce from $916.52/oz at the JSE's last close, and platinum was at $1108.50/oz, from $1096/oz at its previous close.

"We are up 140 points, we have pulled back a bit since the Dow opened. The rand has weakened and that has lifted and propped up the market," a local trader said.

"European markets are up. It has been a lacklustre day. Resources were leading earlier and now financials have taken over. There still seems to be some interest in the banking and financial stocks.

"Gold counters are the only sector in the red and that is on the back of a weaker bullion price. We will still watch 875 on the S&P, that is a key level. Also, earnings going forward will dictate future market direction," he said.

Dow Jones Newswires reports that US stocks made only small moves early on Thursday as investors welcomed upbeat news on earnings and the economy, but flinched at a rebound in oil prices.

Consumer stocks lagged the broader market, while raw-materials names posted the strongest gains.

Major indexes have been little changed, moving between slight gains and losses so far. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was recently up 26 points, or 0.3 percent, to 8204.03, buoyed by a 2.9 percent rise in component Alcoa, which reported a smaller quarterly loss than expected following Wednesday's closing bell. That report marked the symbolic start of the broader second-quarter earnings season.

Expectations for earnings overall are grim. According to Thomson Reuters, the companies that make up the S&P 500 are expected to post the eighth consecutive quarter of declining profits. The index is expected to post a profit decline of about 36 percent, with every sector seen showing contraction in its earnings from a year ago.

When the JSE closed, the DJIA had last edged up 0.11 percent.

Among equity movers, Anglo American added 2.35 percent to 216 rand and BHP Billiton was up 56 cents to 174 rand.

Petrochemicals group Sasol rose 2.51 rand to 266.50 rand.

Paper group Sappi advanced 5.30 percent to 22.65 rand.

ArcelorMittal weakened 65 cents to 90.85 rand and Kumba Iron Ore shed 1.73 percent to 170 rand but Highveld Steel added 3.45 percent to 60 rand.

Gold miner AngloGold Ashanti gave up 85 cents to 282 rand, Gold Fields lost 1.51 percent to 90.51 rand and Harmony was off 1.82 percent to 71.18 rand.

Platinum miner Anglo Platinum gave up 1.25 rand to 501 rand, but Impala Platinum firmed 1.64 percent to 163.13 rand and Lonmin collected 62 cents to 137.02 rand.

Diversified miner African Rainbow added 4.18 percent to 125.01 rand, but Exxaro was down 1.04 percent to 71.61 rand and Hulamin weakened 1.34 percent to 11.05 rand.

Among industrials, brewer SABMiller weakened 79 cents to 162.70 rand and Tiger Brands shed 2.66 percent to 146.15 rand.

However, Bidvest was up 2.61 percent to 96.25 rand and Imperial added 2.62 percent to 60.80 rand.

Banking group Standard Bank rose 1.09 percent to 91.60 rand and Nedbank firmed 1.22 percent to 103.65 rand.

Financial services group Old Mutual gained 2.62 percent to 10.18 rand while Sanlam eased seven cents to 17.03 rand.

Retailer Woolies was up 1.41 percent to 13.71 rand, JD Group rose 1.25 percent to 40.50 rand, Steinhoff gained 2.01 percent to 13.67 rand and Mr Price firmed 1.69 percent to 29.50 rand.

Shoprite advanced 2.52 percent to 59 rand. Earlier, the group reported that for the 12 months to end June 2009 it increased total turnover by 24.5 percent to about R59.3-billion.

Growth on a like-for-like basis was 19.1 percent, the group said.

During this period, internal food inflation rose to 15.8 percent compared to 10.6 percent during the corresponding 12 months, said Shoprite.

Turnover growth slowed in the second half of the year to 21.8 percent from 27.3 percent.

Management ascribes the slower turnover growth to the increasing pressure on the disposable income of consumers and the lower internal food inflation, which reduced from 16.9 percent in the first six months to 14.7 percent in the second.

Construction group Aveng collected 3.09 percent to 34.02 rand, Group Five was up 2.56 percent to 34 rand and Murray & Roberts rose 1.67 percent to 48.70 rand.

Telecommunications group MTN Group advanced 1.01 rand to 120.01 rand and Vodacom collected 1.05 percent to 57.60 rand but Telkom lost 1.73 percent to 43.24 rand.

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