Aussie shares finish the week higher as banks improve

Non-energy miners also improved despite falling in the last two sessions, snapping an eight-week losing streak caused by soaring oil prices, high bond yields and jitters around artificial intelligence and the global data centre build-out.

Investors increasingly found refuge in financials stocks, which have notched a more than eight per cent advance over three straight weeks of gains.

The Australian dollar is buying 70.40 US cents, down from 70.47 US cents on Thursday at 5pm.