The JSE ended 167 points higher on Thursday with resources giving support on the back of a weaker local currency in what trader said was a quiet session with world markets weaker.

At 5pm the JSE all share index had edged up 0.63 percent, with resources up 1.19 percent, platinum producers gaining 3.33 percent and gold stocks collecting 0.61 percent.

Banks lost 1.06 percent and financials weakened 0.40 percent, but industrials were up 0.56 percent.

At 4.43pm the rand was bid at 7.47 to the dollar from 7.36 just before the JSE closed on Wednesday. Gold was quoted at $1056.42 a troy ounce from $1060.30/oz just before the JSE's last close, and platinum was at $1360.50/oz, from $1356.50/oz at its previous close.

"We ended fairly flat today, there wasn't really much happening. The MPC decision came out as expected and markets didn't really react to that," the trader said.

"Intraday there is still a lot of volatility, but our market is holding up quite well if you compare it to eastern and European markets.

"The rand has weakened substantially and is supporting the resource sector. Also we had production reports for the quarter ended September from some of the resource companies and those were not bad. With these being the shares that make a big part of our bourse, we managed to stay afloat," he said.

Dow Jones Newswires reports that the US stocks were trading near the flatline on Thursday as a drop in oil prices weighed on energy stocks, helping offset strong earnings reports and a bigger-than-expected rise in the Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators.

The DJIA opened higher on Thursday thanks to strong earnings results from the latest wave of companies reporting, including Dow Jones Industrial Average components Travelers, AT&T and McDonald's. But it pared those gains and was recently trading down 2 points at 9948.

Meanwhile, the Standard & Poor's 500 fell 0.3 percent, weighed down by the energy sector and materials, though telecoms stocks climbed. The technology- heavy Nasdaq lost 14 points, as some earnings disappointed. Among the companies weighing on stocks, Nasdaq component eBay fell 4.8 percent after it reported a 29 percent profit drop and issued disappointing fourth-quarter guidance.

"Investors are paying attention to what the companies are saying and the guidance is very important for the market, but you come into today and there is worry over China, the growth centre," said Quincy Krosby, chief investment strategist at Prudential Annuities. "It's been the centre of the growth orbit."

The Chinese economy grew 8.9 percent in the third quarter on the year, lower than the 9.1 percent expected by some economists.

In addition, Krosby said the stock market is continuing to take its cues from the move in the dollar, saying "you see the dollar climbing and this is the result in the stock market."

The Dow was weighed down by Merck, General Electric and Caterpillar.

At the time the JSE closed, the DJIA had edged up 0.23 percent.

At the time the JSE closed, the DJIA had edged up 0.23 percent.

On the JSE, Anglo American plc was up 2.41 percent to 284.18 rand and BHP Billiton inched up 13 cents to 223.13 rand.

Petrochemicals group Sasol added 2.26 rand to 312.66 rand.

Highveld Steel put on 2.26 percent to 68 rand and ArcelorMittal was up 2.78 percent to 115.99 rand.

Kumba Iron Ore collected 40 cents to 248.60 rand. It earlier reported September quarter production of 2.9 million tonnes, which represents a 12 percent increase in total production year-on-year and 22 percent from the previous quarter.

Year to end September export sales volumes increased to 26.5 million tonnes, a 39 percent increase when compared with the year to September 2008.

Releasing its production report for the three months to end September, the company said export sales in the quarter were the second highest ever achieved at 9.4 million tonnes, after the record 11.1 million tonnes sold during the second quarter of 2009.

Gold miner AngloGold Ashanti rose 1.45 rand to 326.50 rand and Gold Fields firmed 1.33 percent to 106.50 rand, but Harmony edged down 25 cents to 83.75 rand.

Platinum miner Anglo Platinum rose 1.52 percent to 667.99 rand, Impala Platinum added 4.66 percent to 173.73 rand and Lonmin was up 1.19 percent to 209 rand.

Anglo Platinum earlier reported a two percent decline in its quarterly platinum production to 616 500oz for the three months to end September 2009.

Production of equivalent refined platinum ounces from mining and purchase of concentrate activities attributable to Anglo Platinum in the June quarter was 630 400 ounces.

Releasing its quarterly review and production report, the company said the decline was primarily due to the shaft care and maintenance programme and lower ounces from pooling-and-sharing agreements.

Lonmin earlier reported that its full year platinum sales declined six percent to 682 955 ounces while full year platinum group metals sales dropped seven percent to 1.2 million ounces.

Releasing its full year production report, Lonmin said it was a "satisfactory production performance".

Among industrials on the JSE, brewer SABMiller weakened 66 cents to 201.95 rand, but Imperial was up 6.67 percent to 83.20 rand and Tiger Brands rose 1.48 percent to 156 rand.

Banking group Standard Bank lost 1.93 percent to 101.99 rand and Nedbank eased 50 cents to 126 rand.

Standard Bank has reported attributable earnings of R7.217-billion on an IFRS basis for the nine months ended September.

On a normalised basis earnings amounted to R8.031-billion.

The figures were contained in information provided to the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited, which owns 20 percent of the South African banking group.

Financial services group Old Mutual declined 2.58 percent to 13.59 rand, but Sanlam was up 1.40 percent to 21.80 rand.

Media group Caxton collected 4.52 percent to 13.41 rand.

Retailer Woolies was off 2.61 percent to 17.14 rand, Pick n Pay declined 2.37 percent to 39.49 rand and JD Group (JDG) was down 1.88 percent to 44.40 rand.

Fitch Ratings said earlier that it had affirmed Pick n Pay Stores Limited's National Long-term rating at 'A+(zaf)' with a Stable Outlook.

The National Short-term rating is affirmed at 'F1(zaf)'.

The rating agency said Pick n Pay's rating affirmation continues to reflect the defensive qualities demonstrated by the company amid South Africa's depressed consumer spending environment and challenging trading conditions for the broad retail sector. The Stable Outlook reflects Fitch's view that Pick n Pay's credit profile will be marginally impacted by tougher trading conditions in the medium-term, and will be mainly supported by its food focused business profile.

Spar collected 1.48 percent to 68.40 rand and Clicks added 3.72 percent to 23.70 rand.

Clicks earlier reported that it had lifted diluted headline earnings per share by 26.2 percent from 131.5 cents to 165.9 cents for the year ended August which the group attributed to improved trading and efficient cash and capital management.

This means that diluted HEPS have grown at a four-year compound rate of 30.4 percent.

Return on shareholders' interest rose strongly from 32.8 percent to 42.3 percent and has increased threefold since 2005. The group has set a revised medium- term target range for ROE of 40 percent — 50 percent.

Headline earnings increased 19.7 percent to R478-million.

Construction group Aveng was up 1.97 percent to 41.86 rand, but Basil Read weakened 3.74 percent to 16.75 rand.

Cement manufacturer Pretoria Portland Cement added 4.26 percent to 34.30 rand.

Telecommunications group MTN Group put on 1.33 percent to 125.90 rand but Vodacom declined 40 cents to 53.60 rand.