Australian shares have finished flat as investors wait on US jobs data.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished down 2.6 points, or 0.04 per cent, to 6,335.8 points at 1615 AEST on Friday, while the broader All Ordinaries was down 2.8 points, or 0.04 per cent, to 6,427.2.
"It's a wait and see game," said Nick Twidale, chief operating officer of Rakuten Securities.
"It's all about the non-farm payrolls in the US (set for release late on Friday, AEST)."
Investors were also watching the US-China trade talks, said to be in their final stages, Mr Twidale said.
Macquarie Group dragged on the market on Friday, falling 5.43 per cent to $128.81 after the financial services company warned it expected a more subdued performance over the next 12 months.
ANZ gained 0.51 per cent to $27.41 while the other big banks had a more subdued performance.
Westpac gained 0.11 per cent, Commonwealth was up 0.16 per cent and NAB fell 0.12 per cent.
Energy stocks recorded the largest losses - 1.28 per cent - after oil prices tumbled almost three per cent overnight.
Woodside Petroleum, Santos, Oil Search, Origin Energy and Beach Energy were all down between 0.88 per cent and 2.88 per cent.
Consumer staples was the best-performing sector, up 0.76 per cent, with Woolworths up 1.89 per cent to $32.84 and Coles Group up 0.48 per cent to $12.66.
Afterpay Touch gained 2.94 per cent to $27.65 - yet another all-time high - after the buy-now, pay-later company said it had signed a $US300 million ($A429m) funding facility with Citi to support the expansion of its US business.
Wesfarmers gained 2.02 per cent to $36.37 as the market digested its $776 million takeover bid for lithium miner Kidman Resources, made on Thursday.
Fellow lithium miner Pilbara Miners gained six cents, or 9.09 per cent, to 72 cents.
That's on top of a 5.5 cent rise on Thursday - not surprising given the nearly 50 per cent premium Wesfarmers is offering for Kidman.
Mining giant BHP dropped 0.22 per cent to $36.94, South32 dropped 0.9 per cent to $3.31, but Fortescue Metals gained 1.53 per cent to $7.30.
Aurizon Holdings gained 2.95 per cent to $4.89 after the Queensland rail freight operator reached a 10-year agreement with 11 major coal miners, including BHP, over charges for moving their minerals.
Heath care shares were flat, with sector heavyweight CSL down 0.69 per cent to $199.87.
But ResMed shares soared 9.86 per cent to $16.26 after the sleep apnea products company reported its first-quarter profit was up 15 per cent, to $US157m ($A224m).
The Aussie dollar dropped below 70 US cents ahead of Tuesday's Reserve Bank meeting, buying 69.95 US cents, from 70.19 US cents on Thursday.
Mr Twidale said he wasn't surprised but didn't expect to see a further steep fall in the Aussie despite it breaking the 70 cent resistance level.
ON THE ASX:
* The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index dropped 2.6 points, or 0.04 per cent, to 6,335.8 points at 1615 AEST on Friday
* The All Ordinaries gained 2.8 points, or 0.04 per cent, to 6,427.2.
* At 1630 AEST, the SPI200 futures index was flat at 6,319.
CURRENCY SNAPSHOT AT 1630 AEST:
One Australian dollar buys:
* 69.95 US cents, from 70.19 on Thursday
* 77.98 Japanese yen, from 78.31
* 62.62 euro cents, from 62.72
* 53.65 British pence, from 53.78
* 105.64 NZ cents, from 105.91
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