JSE ends in black

Johannesburg - Banks posted an over 2% gain on Friday afternoon, helping the JSE to close in positive territory on Friday.

At 17:00, the JSE All Share [JSE:J203] index had added 0.45% to 34 260.76 points, with banks garnering 2.38%, financials lifted 1.39%, and platinum miners jumped 0.91%. Industrials edged up 0.36%.

Gold miners shed 0.49%, while resources were flat (-0.01).

The rand was at 7.59 to the US dollar, from 7.69 at the JSE's close on Thursday. Gold was quoted at $1 778.44 a troy ounce from $1 776.92 at the JSE's previous close, while platinum was at $1 709/oz, from $1 722/oz before.

A local trader said the market was caught in a range. He noted there was fear in the US that rising oil and gas prices would lead to a "halt in spending", while higher oil prices raised inflationary concerns in China. Europe, he said, had been a "non-event" in Friday trade.

US stocks rose, putting the S&P 500 on pace for its highest close since 2008, ahead of reports on home sales and consumer sentiment, Dow Jones Newswires reports.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced six points, or 0.1%, to 12 990. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index tacked on two points, or 0.2%, to 1 365, on pace to end the week at a multiyear closing high. The Nasdaq Composite added five points, or 0.1%, to 2 962.

In corporate news, American International Group rallied 6.2% after the insurer reported a fourth-quarter operating profit that was well above estimates, and said it was likely to report sustainable profits in the years ahead.

European markets were broadly higher. The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.2% as investors focused on firm economic data and earnings as concerns about Greece's debt recede.