KEY POINTS:
In the media sector, Publishing and Broadcasting nudged up one cent to $20.12, and Fairfax retreated five cents to $5.06.
News Corp put on 13 cents at $30.49, and its non-voting stock added nine cents at $28.59.
Telco Telstra stepped forward 16 cents to $4.85, and Optus owner Singapore Telecommunications inched up two cents to $2.77.
Retailer Woolworths was 34 cents richer at $27.98.
Among gold stocks, Newcrest added 11 cents to $24.19, and Lihir nudged up one cent to $3.31.
The price of gold at 1649 AEST was $US676.40 per fine ounce, up $US3.60 on Thursday's close.
Among other stocks, GoldLink IncomePlus plunged 33.5 cents to 59.5 cents after the investment group downgraded its earnings outlook, citing volatile conditions in the gold market.
Airline Qantas was up five cents at $5.30 after the private equity consortium trying to take over Qantas in an $11 billion deal said it had made no decision to water down the required level of shareholder acceptance.
The top-traded stock by volume was drilling services provider Boart Longyear, with 100.42 million shares worth $185.69 million changing hands. Boart Longyear was up seven cents at $1.87.
Preliminary national turnover was 1.83 billion shares worth $5.84 billion, with 800 stocks up, 490 down and 338 unchanged.
- AAP