The Aussie market closed out a turbulent week with a muted session on Friday as investors took a breather after a volatile week dominated by Middle East tensions. The ASX 200 ended down 0.1%, with the materials sector dragged lower by a 6% fall in gold miners, while financials gained 1% ahead of next week's RBA interest rate decision. Northern Star plummeted 18% after cutting production guidance, and BHP fell amid an ongoing iron ore contract dispute with China. Energy stocks were the week's sole gainers, up 2.5%, as the broader market heads for its first monthly loss in three months.

Laura Besarati is a Market Analyst at CommSec. Each episode, she breaks down the day's market movements and explains what the numbers really mean.

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