Market finishes a week on the see-saw

AFTER a see-saw day of trade, the share market closed marginally lower yesterday, extending its losses for the week

The benchmark ASX 200 index closed down 4.4 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 6175.2 points while the broader All Ordinaries was down 1.7 points, or 0.03 per cent, at 6265.1.

For the week, the ASX 200 closed down almost 30 points, of 0.5 per cent — its first week in the red in four weeks.

The mining sector led declines yesterday after copper prices fell the previous night.

BHP was down 1.8 per cent at $36.48, Fortescue Metals fell 1.2 per cent to $6.48 and Rio Tinto dropped 0.1 per cent to $91.65.

A dip in the gold price the previous night left miners of the yellow metal in the dumps. The biggest, Newcrest Mining, fell 1.9 per cent to $24.72.

Rival Wesfarmers ended the session 0.4 per cent, or 15c, higher at $34.56.

Elsewhere, the big four banks were mostly down. The Commonwealth Bank fell most, down 0.9 per cent to $72.31.

National Australia Bank was the exception, rising 0.6 per cent to $25.21.

In the energy sector, Santos was up 1 per cent at $7.050 after Brent crude hit a fourmonth peak of $US68.14 a barrel.

Woodside Petroleum gained 0.7 per cent to $35.29 and Beach Energy increased up 0.5 per cent to $2.09.