The Australian sharemarket extended its decline for a third consecutive session on Friday, with weakness in mining stocks weighing on the benchmark as investors reduced exposure ahead of a busy earnings season next week.
The S&P/ASX 200 fell 73.3 points, or 0.8%, to 9,115.2, with six of the 11 sectors finishing lower. The index declined 1.6% over the week.
The Materials sector led the declines, with BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue falling 3.3%, 3.1% and 1.3%, respectively.
Industrials also weakened, with Brambles down 0.4%, Transurban falling 4.1% and Atlas Arteria declining 0.8%.
Australian real estate investment trusts also finished lower. Goodman Group declined 1.3%, Charter Hall fell 0.4% and Scentre Group lost 0.5%.
Information technology was a bright spot, with Xero gaining 5.5%, WiseTech Global rising 5.6% and TechnologyOne advancing 3.2%.
Among individual movers, QBE Insurance fell 1.6% after reporting US$1.03 billion (A$1.46 billion) in net profit after tax for the six months ended 30 June, up 0.97% year-on-year.
Baby Bunting climbed 5.8% after reporting a 17.5% increase in full-year profit from a year earlier. The retailer also flagged an expected increase in pro forma net profit for the current financial year.
On the bond markets, 10-year Treasury yields rose 0.3% to 4.978%, while two-year rates fell 0.1% to 4.557%.
