The JSE was slightly lower in early trade on Wednesday having taken direction from Asian markets which lost momentum in the wake of concerning consumer confidence data in the US, a local trader said.

At 09:28 the JSE all share index had weakened 0.33 percent, with resources easing 0.26 percent, but platinum and gold counters were flat, up 0.07 percent and 0.09 percent respectively.

Banks declined 0.85 percent, financials gave up 0.57 percent and industrials were off 0.31 percent.

The rand was bid at 7.67 to the dollar from 7.65 when the JSE closed on Tuesday. Gold was quoted at $1039.90 a troy ounce from $1036.65 just before the JSE's last close, and platinum was at $1321.50 an ounce from $1309.50 at its previous close.

"We have opened slightly lower this morning. Sentiment is still weak after the weak consumer data out of the US. The data is concerning and that led international markets lower. Asia was down this morning and we followed," the trader said.

"The gold index is slightly higher. Maybe the weak rand is helping those stocks. Also, they had a big sell off yesterday and we are seeing some buying coming in now.

"I think we might trade lower for the day, the market is high at these levels and we have been waiting for some kind of sell off. We have local CPI later on and there is also some data in the US this afternoon," she said.

"We are likely to trade lower for the day unless the US can lift us later," she added.

Dow Jones Newswire reported US stocks mostly languished with Walt Disney, Hewlett-Packard among decliners after robust Treasury auction showed healthy appetite for safer investments, though Dow managed to close slightly higher on gains in International Business Machines, energy components. Treasury auction added to concerns after Conference Board said consumer confidence index fell this month and Richmond Fed's index of manufacturing activity fell in September. Given size of market's rally, "It's not surprising there's a little bit of a pullback, but it is actually surprising how little the pullback has been so far," said Larry Smith, chief investment officer at Third Wave Global Investors.

Asian share markets are lower on Wednesday as shipping stocks and shipbuilders fell on worries about the strength of the global economic recovery, though Honda was buoyant in Tokyo after lifting its earnings forecast.

The Nikkei ended down 1.4 percent and the Hang Seng was last down 1.7 percent.

European stock markets are expected to start lower as strategists start calling for investors to clear out with their profits from the year's rally.