The benchmark S&P/ASX200 rose 39.5 points, or 0.48 per cent, to 8,231.2 on Friday, as the All Ordinaries lifted 40.9 points, or 0.49 per cent, to 8,462.6.
The top-200 finished the week barely seven points lower than 8,238 at last week's close.
"The market has been largely flat over the course of the week, but it does follow the best week that we've had in over a year," CommSec market analyst Steven Daghlian told AAP.
"But I think investors are bracing themselves for what happens over the coming days when ... US and Chinese negotiators will meet in Switzerland to discuss tariffs and trade agreements."
Nine of 11 local sectors made gains on Friday, as materials gave up 0.5 per cent and real estate stocks finished just below flat.
Banks helped lift the bourse as financials rose 1.1 per cent.
Westpac led the big four with a 2.3 per cent gain to $31.21, after selling off for most of the week, with 6.9 per cent wiped from its market cap since last Friday.
Macquarie rallied 3.8 per cent on better-than-expected results, capping a fifth-straight week of gains for the investment and financial services giant.
Large cap miners BHP and Rio Tinto weighed on the materials sector, down one per cent each as iron ore futures failed to reclaim Thursday's price slump.
Energy prices pushed 0.8 per cent higher as oil prices ticked up, but the sector is still down almost 14 per cent in 2025, tracking with a 15.5 per cent slide in crude prices.
IT stocks outperformed the broader market, up 1.8 per cent on Friday after slipping as much as 2.5 per cent earlier in the week.
Next week, all eyes will be on what, if any, outcome arises from US-China trade talks, while US inflation data later in the week also has market-moving potential.
With the Reserve Bank's next meeting less than two weeks away, Australian jobs data on Thursday could provide the last obstacle to a widely expected interest rate cut.
"This is the type of data that could still maybe put just a little bit of doubt in the market's mind," CommSec's Mr Daghlian said.
"Especially if we get a very strong outcome or surprising numbers on the jobs front next week."
The Australian dollar finished the week slightly lower against the greenback to buy 63.97 US cents, down from 64.10 US cents on Thursday at 5pm.
ON THE ASX:
* The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished Friday 39.5 points higher, or up 0.48 per cent, to 8,231.2
* The broader All Ordinaries as the broader All Ordinaries gained 40.9 points, or 0.49 per cent, to 8,462.6
CURRENCY SNAPSHOT:
One Australian dollar buys:
* 63.97 US cents, from 64.10 US cents on Thursday at 5pm
* 93.00 Japanese yen, from 92.53 Japanese yen
* 56.93 Euro cents, from 56.79 Euro cents
* 48.31 British pence, from 48.24 pence
* 108.61 NZ cents, from 108.17 NZ cents
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