The S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.5% to finish at 8,667 on Friday, falling for the second straight session and weighed down by mining and gold stocks. Seven out of 11 sectors closed in the red, led by materials, which fell 1.7%. Traders were cautious ahead of the release of Australia’s monthly and quarterly inflation data next week, which could guide the RBA’s monetary policy path. Caution also built amid ongoing US trade talks with key partners, as well as upcoming negotiations with China in Stockholm next week. Some of the top losers included Champion Iron (-4.9%), AMP (-4.8%), Bellevue Gold (-4.5%), Genesis Minerals (-4.2%), and Strike Energy (-3.7%). The benchmark index fell 1% for the week, following a rise in the previous week.