FX.co ★ Shares in Australia Retreat But Head for 3rd Weekly Advance

Australian stocks slipped 37 points, or 0.4%, to 8,936 in Friday’s morning session, breaking a three-day winning streak. The pullback followed weakness in U.S. equity futures and came against the backdrop of a fragile two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, which kept investors on edge. Sentiment was also subdued ahead of CPI and PPI data due later today from China, Australia’s largest trading partner.

Inflation concerns resurfaced after the monthly inflation gauge rose 1.3% in March, its highest reading on record, reflecting renewed price pressures since the second half of 2025. Investors are now looking ahead to a fresh batch of domestic indicators, with consumer and business confidence surveys as well as March labor market data scheduled for release next week.

Most sectors traded lower, led by losses in transport, energy minerals, and healthcare. Notable decliners included Transurban Group (-4.0%), Wisetech Global (-3.4%), Evolution Mining (-3.0%), and Brambles Ltd. (-1.9%).

Despite the latest setback, the ASX 200 remains on course for a third straight weekly gain, up about 4% so far, buoyed by bargain hunting after the benchmark recently touched a four-month low.