The ASX wrapped up a strong February with a 1.3% weekly gain, its best monthly performance in nearly a year. Mining and financials led the charge while consumer staples lagged after Coles underwhelmed compared to Woolworths. Block surged despite announcing 40% workforce cuts, while Harvey Norman rose despite Jerry Harvey's disappointment. Investors now watch ex-dividend stocks and key US data ahead.

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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