Stocks ended in the black on Wednesday, pushed by a record gold price and firmer resources amid a weaker dollar.

At 5pm the JSE all share index had collected 0.66 percent, led by gold miners firming 5.19 percent. Resources added 1.66 percent and platinum producers were up 2.82 percent.

Banks were flat, down 0.80 percent, as were financials, down 0.45 percent, while industrials edged up 0.13 percent.

The rand was bid at 7.67 to the dollar from 7.85 when the JSE closed on Tuesday. Gold was quoted at $1090.47 a troy ounce from $1061.40 at the JSE's last close ? having hit a new record of $1095.65 earlier ? and platinum was at $1364/oz, from $1353/oz at its previous close.

A local trader said: "Gold prices have hit record highs today, pushing gold stocks higher, and resources are also trading nicely with a weaker dollar, which has helped to push up stocks."

The gold price jumped to a new record high of US$1,095.65 earlier after the price continued to capitalise on the news that India had bought 200 tonnes of gold from the International Monetary Fund.

Dow Jones Newswire reported that US stocks opened higher on Wednesday as the lowest number of monthly layoffs since March 2008 and an as-expected drop in private sector jobs were seen as encouraging signs for the government's monthly jobs report on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 62 points, or 0.6 percent, to 9833, with 29 of its 30 components in the black.

Alcoa jumped 3 percent, while Walt Disney rose 2.7 percent after it announced it got the go-ahead from China's central government to pursue a plan to build a theme park in Shanghai. Other components up more than 2 percent included Merck and Bank of America. Kraft was the one component in the red, down 2.5 percent after reporting weaker-than-expected sales in the third quarter and lowering its outlook for sales growth this year.

Expectations for the government's monthly jobs report Friday rose Wednesday morning after payroll giant Automatic Data Processing and consultancy Macroeconomic Advisors reported a 203 000 drop in private-sector jobs last month, on par with the drop expected by economists and smaller than September's decline.

On the JSE, Anglo American plc was up 4.30 rand, or 1.49 percent, to 293.50 rand and BHP Billiton edged up 1.74 rand to 213 rand.

Petrochemicals group Sasol eased 2.76 rand to 290.74 rand.

AngloGold Ashanti put on 12.36 rand, or 4.08 percent, to 315.26 rand, Gold Fields was up six rand, or 5.91 percent, to 107.50 rand and Harmony rose 5.59 rand, or 7.32 percent, to 82 rand.

Platinum miner Anglo Platinum firmed 19.26 rand, or 2.90 percent, to 683.26 rand, Impala Platinum was up 5.04 rand, or 3 percent, to 173 rand and Lonmin added 3.60 rand, or 1.88 percent, to 195.10 rand. Aquarius firmed 1.79 rand, or 5.39 percent, to 35 rand.

In diversified miners, African Rainbow was up five rand, or 3.36 percent, to 154 rand and Exxaro rose 1.80 rand, or 2.12 percent, to 86.70 rand.

Elsewhere on the JSE, brewer SABMiller was down 1.85 rand to 204.15 rand, with British American Tobacco short 3.53 rand, or 1.43 percent, to 243.62 rand.

Electrics group Reunert wavered four rand, or 7.48 percent, to 49.50 rand.

Among banks, Standard Bank weakened 1.29 rand, or 1.36 percent to 93.71 rand, and ABIL dropped 44 cents, or 1.54 percent, to 28.17 rand.

Financial services group Discovery garnered 55 cents, or 1.85 percent, to 30.30 rand.

Retailer JDG Group fell 1.72 rand, or 4.07 percent, to 40.49 rand and Spar declined 95 cents, or 1.41 percent, to 66.45 rand. Massmart however, profited one rand, or 1.14 percent, to 89 rand.

JD Group on Wednesday advised shareholders that earnings and headline earnings per share for the twelve months ended August 31 2009 had been adversely affected by a tax settlement and restructuring expenses in addition to increased debtors costs, and are as a result expected to be between 80 percent and 90 percent lower than those reported for the previous corresponding period.

JD Group said should the effect of the tax settlement and the restructuring expenses amounting to 409 million rand be disregarded, the earnings and headline earnings per share for the full year were expected to be between 0 percent and 5 percent lower than those reported for the previous corresponding period.

Murray & Roberts gained 1.35 rand, or 2.47 percent, to 56 rand, while Group Five shed one rand, or 2.57 percent, to 37.90 rand. Cement manufacturer Pretoria Portland Cement was up 80 cents, or 2.52 percent, to 32.50 rand.

Telecommunications group MTN Group was down 98 cents to 114.01 rand and Telkom collected 59 cents, or 1.42 percent, to 42.20 rand.

Media group Naspers added 7.56 rand, or 2.81 percent, to 277.06 rand, but Avusa was down one rand, or 4.76 percent, to 20 rand.