Australian shares struggle; New Zealand down

Australian shares struggled on Friday as investors took flight from global risk after the United States launched cruise missile strikes on a Syrian airbase, sharply escalating the US role in Syria's years-long civil war. Investors were already in a cautious mood as they awaited the outcome of talks between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, and a key monthly jobs report later in the day.
The S&P/ASX 200 index edged up 0.1 percent to finish at 5,862.50, trimming modest earlier gains in the wake of the US attacks on Syria. Over the week, the benchmark declined 0.04 percent in a period that was marked by a lack of conviction from buyers. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index declined 0.6 percent or 45.76 points to finish the session at 7,243.76.