ASX Today Live News & Analysis

The Australian share market has slipped after again approaching its best-ever close, fading ahead of key US economic data and a long weekend in most Australian states.

The S&P/ASX200 traded a tight range on Friday to finish 23.2 points lower, down 0.27 per cent to 8,515.7, as the broader All Ordinaries slipped 26.7 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 8,741.9.

The top 200 gained roughly one per cent for the week but failed to hold above its record close of 8,555.8 for a second straight day, as investors took profits ahead of a trading break on Monday and two potentially volatile US sessions before the next ASX open.

With the local bourse so close to its record, some investors were asking if they were looking at a high-water mark, Moomoo market strategist Jessica Amir said.

"With US debt concerns getting louder, investors are questioning whether markets could be due for a haircut," she told AAP.

"But I think that'll be tested tonight when we get US jobs data, and if it really is weaker than expected then that will smash sentiment."

Nine of 11 local sectors finished lower but energy shares offered some relief, up 0.7 per cent as hopes of resumed US-China trade talks pushed oil prices higher.

Brent crude prices are up more than 3.5 per cent for the week, to $US64.86 a barrel, after a phone call between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping raised hopes for global growth and crude demand from the world's two largest economies.

Financials weighed on the bourse, down 0.4 per cent as investors took profits on the banks.

CBA was the big four's worst performer on Friday, fading 0.8 per cent after hitting a fresh peak of $182 on Thursday.

Zooming out, the sector was up 1.9 per cent for the week and holding above its record close in February.

Liquidity rotation from the banks and glimmers of global trade hopes helped push BHP and Fortescue higher, but it was not enough to stop the materials sector from slipping 0.1 per cent after a 1.4 per cent gain for the week.

The brighter trade horizon weighed on critical minerals miners after China's export controls pushed them higher on Thursday, leaving Pilbara Minerals (down 5.2 per cent) and Iluka Resources (down 3.8 per cent) among the top 200's worst performers on Friday.

Goldminers were a mixed bag all week, as the precious metal continued to chop within a range, with futures at $US3,384 ($A5,210) an ounce.

Cryptocurrency Bitcoin slipped almost five per cent overnight but has recovered some of its losses to trade about $US103,200 ($A158,860), with no fundamental catalyst behind the dip, trading platform OKX's Australian boss Kate Cooper said.

"The modest 5.6 per cent dip in the global cryptocurrency market cap today reflects broader market volatility, as participants react to the European Central Bank's downward revision of inflation expectations and reassess growth prospects," she said.

Qantas was among the ASX's best-performing large cap stocks, up 3.5 per cent to $10.76 as competitor Virgin Australia confirmed it would relist on the ASX on June 24 with an expected market cap of $2.3 billion.

Gold explorer and developer Ora Banda took the wooden spoon, down 14 per cent after a production update failed to shine.

The Australian dollar is buying 64.97 US cents, roughly on par with Thursday at 5pm, but at the upper end of its recent range against the greenback.

ON THE ASX:

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished Friday 23.2 points lower, down 0.27 per cent to 8,515.7

The broader All Ordinaries fell 26.7 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 8,741.9

The NZX 50 Lost -13.67 points (-0.11%) to 12,563.48 while the Nikkei gained 187.12 points (0.50%) at the time of writing, to be closed at 37,741.61