AAP
The Australian dollar closed little changed in contrast to volatile trading earlier in the week, with traders on the sidelines ahead of key US employment data.
At 1700 AEST on Friday, the local unit was trading at 90.82 US cents, up from Thursday's close of 90.74 cents.
Since 0700 AEST, the local currency traded between 91.16 US cents and 90.67 cents, according to IRESS data.
Commonwealth Bank currency strategist Joseph Capurso said the local unit had a quiet trading day after a volatile week.
"In terms of the week that was, it was pretty volatile and we're going to have a pretty bumpy ride over the next seven or eight days," he said.
"It's been a pretty boring day."
National accounts data during the week showed the domestic economy grew by an unexpectedly rapid 3.3 per cent for the year to June.
Mr Capurso said the data lead him to expect a bullish statement from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) following its monthly board meeting and subsequent interest rate decision next Tuesday.
He said market expectations were for the RBA to hold the cash rate steady at 4.5 per cent.
None of the 15 economists surveyed by AAP on Friday expected a rate rise.
Market attention on Friday was on key US jobs data during the offshore session, Mr Capurso said.
The US Department of Labour is expected to publish its much anticipated non-farm payrolls data for August and it is not expected to paint a rosy picture about the US employment situation.
The jobless rate is forecast to rise marginally to 9.6 per cent from 9.5 per cent the previous month, and 105,000 jobs are expected to have been lost in August.
Mr Capurso said he expected the private sector employment component of the US series to have the most effect on markets.
At 1700 AEST, the Australian dollar was at 76.56 Japanese yen, up from Thursday's close of 76.40 yen, and at 70.85 euro cents, up slightly from its previous close of 70.84.
The euro finished at 1.2699 US dollars, down from 1.2809 US dollars, and at 108.08 yen, up from 107.85.
The US dollar was at 84.32 Japanese yen, up from 84.20 previously.
Meanwhile, the Australian debt market closed weaker after low volumes characterised the trading day.
At 1630 AEST on Friday, the yield on the Commonwealth Government April 2020 bond was 4.855 per cent, up from Thursday's close of 4.811 per cent, while the May 2013 bond was at 4.387, up from 4.348 per cent.
On the Sydney Futures Exchange, the September 10-year bond futures contract was at 95.165, down from 95.190, while the September three-year bond futures contract was at 95.560, down from 95.600.
4Cast Financial Markets head of research Ray Attrill said trading volumes on the local market were a third of what they were at the start of the week.
"It's been a low-volume, uninspiring session," he said.
"That's what you'd expect ahead of the US jobs data due tonight."
The only notable piece of domestic economic data during the trading day was the successful auction of $700 million of Treasury bonds that mature on June 15, 2016.
The Australian Office of Financial Management issued the bonds, with a weighted average yield of 4.6266 per cent and a coupon rate of 4.75 per cent.
There were 39 bids for the issue worth a total of $2.593 billion.
The 90-day bank bill closed at 4.740, up from Thursday's close of 4.720, while the 180-day bank bill rate was at 4.870, up from 4.830 previously.
At 1600 AEST, the RBA's trade weighted index (TWI) was at 69.9, where it closed on Thursday.
