The JSE was lower in noon trade on Wednesday on the back of some profit-taking after Tuesday's rally.
By 12pm the JSE all share index was down 0.43 percent, with resources giving up 1.20 percent, and gold miners declining 1.32 percent. Platinum miners however, added 0.37 percent.
Banks were flat, with financials 0.11 percent firmer and the industrial index up 0.14 percent.
The rand was bid at R7.25/$, from R7.24/$ at the JSE's close on Tuesday.
Gold was quoted at $1,134.05 a troy ounce from 1,137.53/oz at the JSE's last close.
Platinum was at $1,715.50/oz from $1,707/oz at the JSE's last close.
"We're seeing quite a bit of profit-taking after yesterday's rally, with resources easing back a bit. Although Asian markets ended higher, European markets and US futures are lower, so we're all pretty much in the same boat at the moment and we could see a further weakening before the end of the session," a local equities trader said.
Dow Jones Newswires reported that European stocks were mostly lower Wednesday, as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of Thursday's key interest rate decisions from the Bank of England and European Central Bank.
Tuesday's release of the US Federal Reserve minutes went without any major hitches, so now attention will be turning to the next round of interest rate policy decisions, said Owen Ireland, analyst at ODL Securities.
"With the (Reserve Bank of Australia) raising rates yesterday, and the Japanese holding rates this morning, attention now turns to the U.K. and the euro zone, who are scheduled to release (rate verdicts) tomorrow," Ireland added.
Asian markets closed mainly higher Wednesday, with resource shares among the bigger advancers in Hong Kong and strength in financials lifting stocks in Japan, but China real estate developers fell on fears of possible further monetary tightening from the government.
Overall, "Asian shares continue rallying, helped by the rise in oil prices overnight [and] strong company earnings," said Martin Hennecke, an associate director at Tyche Group Ltd. in Hong Kong.
"We have long maintained that the Asian economies are fundamentally much sounder than their Western counterparts, and China's growth in particular is helping the region, with the country already being the largest export market for Japan and Korea," he said.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 1.8 percent in its first day of trading since Thursday.
But China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.3 percent.
Meanwhile, US stocks are called to open lower Wednesday, in line with US futures, says David Morrison at GFT. He calls the DJIA down 28 points at 10,942 and the S&P 500 down four at 1185.5.
On the JSE, Anglo American was R3.70 or 1.12 percent lower at R327.59 and BHP Billiton shed R5.51 or 2.13 percent to R253. Sasol gave up 202 cents to R308.98.
Platinum miner Angloplat improved R14 or 1.85 percent to R772.50, but Impala Platinum was down 110 cents at R217.65.
Gold miner Anglogold Ashanti was R2.68 lower at R292.32, while Gold Fields was down R1.52 or 1.6 percent at R93.63 and Harmony was off R1.61 or 2.18 percent at R72.39.
Kumba Iron Ore added R4.84 or 1.34 percent to R365.94.
Among industrials, British American Tobacco collected 70 cents to R252.35 while SABMiller was 20 cents better off at R217.
Pretoria Portland Cement gained 48 cents or 1.41 percent to R34.48.
Healthcare group Adcock gathered 72 cents or 1.25 percent to R58.18, and pharmaceutical manufacturer Aspen was R1.49 or 1.83 percent higher at R83.09.
Banker Nedbank was off 56 cents at R139.44, Standard Bank was 21 cents lower at R117.14 and Absa was 134 cents weaker at R141.61. FirstRand, however, was up 18 cents at R20.44.
Retailer Lewis pocketed 65 cents or 1.13 percent to R58.04 and Truworths gained 139 cents or 2.49 percent to R57.19.
Media group Naspers gave up R3.20 or 1 percent to R315.80.
Telecommunications group Telkom was up 34 cents at R34.74 and MTN Group was 41 cents firmer at 113.41, but Vodacom was down 54 cents at R55.69. - I-Net Bridge
