The JSE ended in the red on Friday with resource and platinum counters leading the falls in a session that saw commodity prices lose momentum and market players take profits after a good week.

At 5pm the JSE all share index had given up 0.58 percent, with resources losing 1.01 percent. Gold miners weakened 0.97 percent and platinums shed 1.88 percent.

Banks edged up 0.56 percent and financials were flat, up 0.01 percent, but industrials were down 0.42 percent.

The rand was bid at 7.36 to the dollar from 7.34 just before the JSE closed on Thursday. Gold was quoted at $1050.30 a troy ounce from $1049.10/oz just before the JSE's last close, and platinum was at $340/oz, from $1342/oz at its previous close.

"We ended down today, nothing really happened during the afternoon, just continued profit taking. Volumes are also very low," a trader said.

"US markets are closed on Monday and perhaps we are seeing a bit of uncertainty creep in because of that. Alcoa came out this week with better- than-expected results. That puts a benchmark for the other companies. They are now also expected to bring out better earnings, if they don't then we will see further profit taking.

"The rand is keeping on to its gains and that is putting the resources under pressure after having had a good run. Rand hedge companies are also under pressure," he said.

Earlier in the day, the trader said: "We had a good week and today is the last day and people are now taking money off the table. There are more earnings due out next week. It's probably just the market getting jittery ahead of those and people choosing to sit on the sideline."

Dow Jones Newswires reports that US stocks edged higher, the dollar was stronger and commodities weakened on Friday following an unexpected narrowing in the US trade deficit.

The DJIA, which has risen in three of this week's four full trading sessions, was recently up 26 points, or 0.3 percent, at 9812.72. Two years ago Friday the Dow hit an all-time record close of 14164.53. It ended trading Thursday 31 percent below that mark.

The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.4 percent. The S&P 500 was up 0.3 percent. The Russell 2000 was up 0.5 percent.

Friday's earnings calendar was light, but investors did get a surprise on the economic front. The Commerce Department US deficit in international trade of goods and services decreased 3.6 percent to $30.71-billion from a downwardly revised $31.85-billion the month before. The July trade gap was originally reported as $31.96-billion.

The decline, the first since May, marked the first time the deficit dropped in four months, as exports rose to their highest level of the year and imports eased despite higher oil prices. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had expected a further widening in the deficit to $33.6-billion.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said late on Thursday that the US central bank would reverse course and tighten policy when the economic outlook improves sufficiently, though he said accommodative policy would still be needed for an extended period.

Low rates from the Fed have also helped to fuel a pullback in the dollar this year, but that trend eased on Friday. The dollar recently posted gains against all six foreign denominations in the US Dollar Index, pushing the measure up 0.4 percent.

The DJIA was last flat, up 0.29 percent.

Among equity movers on the JSE, Anglo American plc was off 1.37 percent to 252.99 rand and BHP Billiton gave up 1.67 rand to 207.10 rand.

Petrochemicals group Sasol lost 2.49 rand to 288.80 rand.

Highveld Steel declined 1.01 percent to 73.25 rand.

Gold miner AngloGold Ashanti collected 98 cents to 330.50 rand, but Gold Fields lost 1.09 percent to 109 rand and Harmony weakened 50 cents to 86.25 rand.

Platinum miner Anglo Platinum shed 3.50 percent to 689 rand and Impala Platinum was down 1.11 percent to 171.50 rand, but Lonmin collected 86 cents to 191.50 rand.

In diversified miners, African Rainbow moved 2.28 percent lower to 152.45 rand.

Among industrials on the JSE, SABMiller gave up 1.35 rand to 187.10 rand and British American Tobacco lost 1.33 percent to 230.30 rand.

Banker Standard Bank collected 55 cents to 96.65 rand, Nedbank added 2.42 rand, or 2.07 percent, to 119.42 rand and Absa gained 1.05 rand to 122.06 rand.

Media group Caxton collected 2.73 percent to 12.44 rand.

Retailer Truworths was up 3.21 percent to 44.99 rand, Massmart gained 2.09 percent to 88 rand, Steinhoff put on 2.08 percent to 17.15 rand and Clicks rose 2.91 percent to 23 rand.

Telecommunications group MTN was down 2.32 percent to 126.05 rand, Telkom was off 1.77 percent to 41.55 rand and Vodacom weakened 1.09 percent to 54.40 rand.

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