The local market faded late to finish 0.1% lower, marking a 1.3% loss for the week. This represents the fourth weekly decline in five weeks, driven largely by a "War Toll" on financials and healthcare. Sentiment soured after President Trump stated there was "no rush" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, causing oil prices to spike and equities to retreat. While the materials sector gained 2% this week, a 3% sell-off today erased much of that progress. Bapcor fell 4% today, totalling a 30% collapse this week, Mineral Resources slumped 7.5%, and Fletcher Building rose 5% on a successful asset sale. All eyes now turn to a massive Thursday next week, featuring both Nvidia’s quarterly results and critical Aussie jobs data that will dictate the RBA's next move.

Steve Daghlian and Laura Besarati are Market Analysts at CommSec. Each episode, they break down the day's market movements and explain what the numbers really mean.

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