Thanks afternoon crew.
A calmer week on financial markets, in itself a very positive sign. Didn't find trading as easy this week, but the old long-term portfolio doesn't look as punch-drunk as it did a month ago.
Have a great weekend, all.
End-of-day summary:
The share market posted its first weekly loss in a month as the recovery from six weeks of Middle East war volatility took a breather.
The ASX 200 declined eight points or 0.09% on Friday to its third loss of a choppy week.
Volatility dropped this week as global markets reacted less to swings in energy markets. Overnight, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite edged to fresh highs despite a 4.7% bounce in Brent crude back towards US$100 a barrel.
The final session of the Australian trading week saw a recovery in tech stocks extend into a fourth session. Utilities, industrials and telcos also rose. Gold miners fell for a second day, while the heavily-weighted financial sector dropped to a fifth straight loss.
The ASX 200 traded in a comparatively tight range this week as hopes for further Middle East peace talks provided a base. Friday's fall condemned the Australian stock benchmark to a minor weekly loss of 14 points or 0.15%.
