News: XIJ Australia shares close week at record high on healthcare boost

(Updates to close)

• Healthcare stocks rise on stronger U.S. dollar
• Technology stocks track Wall Street higher
• BHP, Westpac, CSL to report earnings next week

Aug 13 (Reuters) - Australian shares closed the week at a record high on Friday, lifted by healthcare stocks, while investors looked ahead to corporate earnings from heavyweight names due next week.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) ended 0.5% higher at 7,628.9, scaling a record close for the fourth time this week.

Shares of export-reliant healthcare companies .AXHJ climbed 2.1% and were the biggest gainers, helped by a stronger U.S. dollar.

CSL Ltd (CSL) was the biggest individual boost, rising 2.4% in its best day in a week.

Technology stocks .AXIJ rose 0.8% after mega-cap tech stocks drove Wall Street higher overnight.

Software firms Altium Ltd (ALU) and Codan Ltd (CDA) were among the top gainers on the sub-index, climbing 0.9% and 1.9%, respectively.

Financials .AXFJ added 3% this week, with the country's top three insurers soaring after their earnings highlighted improving conditions.

Commonwealth Bank (CBA) , however, snapped its strong recent run-up after analysts poured through the annual results of the country's biggest lender to flag concerns around its revenue growth going forward.

The earnings season is set to kick into full gear next week, with global miner BHP Group (BHP) , major lender Westpac (WBC) and biotech company CSL Ltd (CSL) set to post their results.

Major miners .AXMM fell 0.1% on Friday after iron ore futures skidded overnight on concerns over steel output controls in China and signs of an economic slowdown in the world's top metal consumer.

BHP and Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) led the losses and were down 0.3% and 0.8%, respectively.

In New Zealand, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) rose 0.64% to 12,762.7.