The S&P/ASX 200 was largely unchanged around 8,850 in early Friday deals, halting gains from the previous session, as profit-taking in banks offset strength in gold stocks. The rate-sensitive financial sector dropped nearly 1% after a strong 1.8% rise in the previous day. All the “Big Four” banks traded in the red, led by top lender Commonwealth Bank, down 1.7%. A strong December jobs report boosted the risks of monetary policy tightening by the Reserve Bank of Australia as early as February. Energy stocks also fell 0.7% on lower oil prices, while heavyweight miners were mixed. Global mining giants BHP rose 0.5%, whereas Rio Tinto tumbled 1.2%. Meanwhile, gold miners led the gains, climbing almost 6% to scale record highs amid higher bullion prices. Local technology stocks also surged 2.8%, led by Life360, up nearly 30% to hit its highest level since December 15. The family-tracking app provider forecast full-year revenue of $486–489 million, implying annual growth of about 31–32%.