Materials was the only sector ending the week in the green as the S&P/ASX 200 slid 35.10 points, or 0.42%, to 8,294.10 points.
Crossing below its 50-day moving average, the index is 2.59% off its 52-week high after gaining 0.53% over the past week.
The materials sector rose 0.98% on Friday and is up 0.73% over the past five days, while energy shed 0.44% and industrials edged down 0.14%.
Critical minerals producer Iluka Resources (ASX:ILU) remained in the top five to close up 5.25% at $5.41, as did Deterra Royalties (ASX:DRR), which rose 2.89% to $3.92.
Gold miner Westgold Resources (ASX:WGX) advanced 3.95% to $2.63 and copper producer Sandfire Resources (ASX:SFR) rallied 3.15% to $9.81.
Lithium miner Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS), however, dipped 2.23% to $2.19 by the closing bell.
The S&P/ASX200 is Australia’s leading share market index and contains the top 200 ASX-listed companies in terms of market capitalisation, and accounts for about 80% of the country’s equity market. The index is designed to measure the performance of the 200 largest index-eligible stocks listed on the ASX by float-adjusted market capitalisation.
It is recognised as the institutional investable benchmark in the country.
Write to Angela East at Mining.com.au
Images: ASX & iStock
