The JSE ended in the red on Friday amid weaker commodity prices and a frail Dow with profit taking and risk aversion back in the market after a few days of good gains.

At 5pm the JSE all share index had weakened 0.48 percent, with resources down 0.40 percent. Platinum miners collected 0.36 percent and gold producers added 1.50 percent.

Banks were down 1.07 percent, financials gave up 0.66 percent and industrials were off 0.48 percent.

The rand was bid at 7.55 to the dollar, from 7.52 when the JSE closed on Thursday. Gold was quoted at $1140.75 a troy ounce from $1136.35 at the JSE's last close, and platinum was at $1433/oz, from $1449/oz at its previous close.

"We ended down today. The US opened lower and the commodity prices are down," a trader said.

"Risk aversion is back in the market. The strong dollar is putting the commodity prices under pressure.

"The gold sector is the only sector that is up, maybe it's people seeking safety," he said.

"It was expected though, we just didn't know when it would happen.

"We are just seeing some profit taking after a good few days of good gains," he concluded.

Dow Jones Newswire reported that US stocks opened slightly lower on Friday, as a bigger-than-expected drop in Dell's latest quarterly earnings weighed on the technology sector, prompting investors to continue moving away from riskier investments and into the safety of the dollar.

The DJIA was recently down 5 points at 10329. Alcoa was the measure's weakest component, off 1.4 percent. Caterpillar also fell more than one percent.

Technology components Cisco and Intel were down about 0.7 percent each, reflecting disappointment across the sector after Dell reported a 54 percent drop in its fiscal third-quarter profit, missing analysts' estimates on a double- digit drop in revenue. Shares of Dell, which is not a Dow component, tumbled 8 percent recently.

The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.5 percent. The Standard & Poor's 500 index declined 0.4 percent, led by its technology sector.

Friday's small declines cap a week that began on a high note, with the Dow industrials reaching new highs for the year earlier in the week, but has since gone downhill as mixed economic reports and weak forecasts from a number of retailers prompted a move away from riskier equities and into areas of perceived safety.

"To me the market's overdone right now and with Dell's earnings being a disappointment and the dollar up, I can understand why the market's lower," said Terry Morris, co-portfolio manager at National Penn Investors Trust.

Still, Morris said he was surprised the market has been so resilient, as Friday's early declines were minimal.

At the time the JSE closed, the DJIA was flat, down 0.13 percent.

On the JSE, Anglo American plc gave up 2.08 rand to 315.50 rand and BHP Billiton lost 2.52 rand, or 1.10 percent, to 227.52 rand.

Petrochemicals group Sasol declined 2.99 rand, or 1.01 percent, to 292 rand.

Paper group Sappi added 1.15 rand, or 3.73 percent, to 32 rand.

Kumba Iron Ore put on 1.76 rand to 256.63 rand.

AngloGold Ashanti picked up 4.01 rand, or 1.23 percent, to 329 rand, Gold Fields added 2.45 rand, or 2.29 percent, to 109.40 rand and Harmony edged up 45 cents to 79 rand.

Platinum miner Anglo Platinum was up 2.35 rand to 707.35 rand and Impala Platinum collected 77 cents to 169.47 rand, but Lonmin gave up 1.41 rand to 210.25 rand.

In diversified miners, African Rainbow fell 2.10 rand, or 1.30 percent, to 159.90 rand.

Elsewhere on the JSE, SABMiller weakened 1.25 rand to 215.50 rand, Barloworld was off 2.86 rand, or 5.51 percent, to 49.04 rand, Imperial fell 1.33 rand, or 1.62 percent, to 80.55 rand and British American Tobacco declined 4.47 rand, or 1.83 percent, to 239.75 rand.

Among banks, Standard Bank lost 1.43 rand, or 1.48 percent, to 95.45 rand rand Absa fell 1.95 rand, or 1.55 percent, to 124.05 rand.

Financial services group Old Mutual edged up 11 cents to 14.70 rand, but Sanlam was down 55 cents, or 2.48 percent, to 21.59 rand.

Sugar group Illovo weakened 67 cents, or 2.12 percent, to 31 rand and Tongaat Hulett shed 3.51 rand, or 3.58 percent, to 94.49 rand.

Media group Avusa gave up 1.29 rand, or 7.46 percent, to 16.01 rand. Earlier it reported headline earnings of 39 cents for the six months ended September 30, from 97 cents previously.

An earnings per share was at 44 cents, from 155 cents previously, a drop of 72 percent.

Revenue from continuing operations decreased 5 percent from R2.3-billion to R2.2-billion.

The group reported operating profit of R77-million, from R177-million earlier, a decline of 56 percent.

Operating costs, revealed a marginal R3-million increase over last year's costs, 'reflect the successful implementation of group-wide cost-cutting initiatives," the group said.

It further pointed to a 20 percent decline in advertising revenues with newspaper, magazine, digital and out-of-home businesses advertising sharply lower in what it termed an extremely tough trading period.

"In particular, recruitment advertising reduced as employers shed jobs and limited appointments," it said.

Retailer Pick n Pay weakened 1.12 rand, or 2.74 percent, to 39.81 rand, Lewis was down 1.79 rand, or 3.47 percent, to 49.86 rand and Shoprite declined 87 cents, or 1.38 percent, to 62.10 rand.

Liberty International was down 1.05 rand, or 1.71 percent, to 60.45 rand.

Construction group Aveng moved 55 cents, or 1.37 percent lower, to 39.55 rand and Basil Read declined 50 cents, or 3.24 percent, to 14.95 rand.

Telecommunications group MTN group inched up 17 cents to 119.77 rand, but Telkom declined 67 cents, or 1.66 percent, to 39.60 rand and Vodacom weakened 70 cents, or 1.21 percent, to 57.30 rand.

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