The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) closed firmer to a record high on Thursday assisted largely by listed companies' financial results.

The all share was up 0.69 percent to 56,548.46 points at close, while top 40 index was up 0.69 percent. Resources and financials stocks rallied, assisted by big individual stocks in the industrial sector such as British American Tobacco.

But Steinhoff, the biggest listed company among the blue-chip stocks, tumbled by 10 percent, which translated into a loss about R24 billion in market value. It is alleged that the sell-off was caused by the consumer goods group being investigated for accounting fraud.

Construction stocks displayed mixed fortunes, with Murray & Roberts shedding 5.19 percent following its full-year results, announced on Wednesday, in which it reported an 8-percent rise in headline earnings per share.

On the other hand, PPC was up 3.36 percent to R5.23, bringing cumulative losses to 28 percent this week alone.

Among the stocks on JSE, Sanlam was up 2.72 percent to R72.22, Old Mutual gained 1.55 percent to R35.39, and Standard Bank gained 2.15 percent to R166.61.

Among the retailers, Massmart was up 2.37 percent to R127.8, but Woolworths fell 2.82 percent to R83.96. Steinhoff was down 9.19 percent to R60.01.

British American Tobacco was up 2.3 percent to R819.9.