Half-time wrap: Australian shares declined for a third session after weak US job figures and another round of tariff hikes sparked Wall Street's biggest tumble since May. The ASX 200 dipped 13 points or 0.15% by mid-session. A rebound in mining stocks helped shield the index from a deeper loss. The materials sector climbed 0.9% towards its first gain in eight sessions as gold miners surged. Energy producers, banks and industrials steered the market lower. US stocks slumped on Friday after tepid July employment growth rekindled fears that the Federal Reserve has been too cautious with lowering rates. The S&P 500 dropped 1.6% to its heaviest loss since May. Earlier, Europe's stock benchmark fell to a six-week low after the White House raised tariffs on dozens of trading partners.
Personal trading: Playing cautious until the spec sector regains its footing. Only buy was LIS.
