Financial stocks rise 1.2% Investors await US payrolls report...

	  Financial stocks rise 1.2%  

	  Investors await US payrolls report 

	  Oil prices on track for steepest weekly decline since 

March

(Updates to close)

Australian shares closed higher on Friday, buoyed by financial stocks, while investors awaited U.S. jobs data for further clues on the Federal Reserve's interest rate trajectory.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) rose 0.4% to 6,925.5. The benchmark lost over 1.3% this week.

Friday's U.S. monthly payrolls report, due at 1230 GMT, could be the week's most important economic news, which could add to the case for the Fed keeping rates higher for longer.

Earlier this week, an unexpected surge in U.S. job openings fuelled rate hike worries among market participants, pointing to a still-tight labor market.

"I think the cautious optimism in the Aussie share market today is partially driven by weaker private U.S. jobs data, which leads to speculation on benign readings from Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) tonight," said Glenn Yin, head of research and analysis at AETOS Capital Group.

Yinn added that rapidly declining crude oil prices this week could ease inflationary pressures and also be another factor helping lift sentiment.

In Sydney, financial shares .AXFJ rallied 1.2%, with the so-called "big four" banks rising between 0.9% and 2.1%.

Mining .AXMM companies also gained 0.7%, with sector behemoths Rio Tinto (RIO) and BHP Group (BHP) rising 1.1% and 1.2%, respectively.

Gold stocks .AXGD jumped 0.8% after the commodity edged up from seven-month lows on Friday. GOL/

Sector majors Newcrest Mining (NCM) and Northern Star Resources (NST) rose 0.1% and 1.3%, respectively. Separately, Newcrest said Newmont Corporation's NEM.N $16.7 billion buyout offer for the miner received government regulatory approvals.

Meanwhile, energy stocks .AXEJ dropped 0.8%, hit by a dip in oil prices, which were on track for their steepest weekly decline since March despite rising on Friday. O/R

Sector behemoths Woodside Energy (WDS) and Santos (STO) fell 0.4% and 0.9%, respectively.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) fell 0.2% to end at 11,309.1.