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Sept 2 (Reuters) - Australian shares closed lower for a third consecutive session on Friday as the prospect of strong U.S. jobs data, which could help seal the deal for a Federal Reserve rate rise in the near term, kept investors on tenterhooks.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO finished 42.76 points, or 0.8 percent, lower at 5372.8. The benchmark, which closed 0.3 percent lower on Thursday, lost about 2.6 percent, or 142.67 points, on the week.
Aged care facilities operator Estia Health Ltd EHE.AX and health food maker Select Harvest SHV.AX were the day's biggest losers, shedding 6 percent and 9 percent respectively.
While the healthcare and telecom services sectors dragged the index down this session, basic materials .AXMJ and telecoms .AXTJ were the week's biggest losers.
Financials .AXFJ shed 1.9 percent on the week, with Westpac Banking Corp WBC.AX losing 3.1 percent and Commonwealth Bank of Australia CBA.AX down 3.2 percent.
Miners Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) Ltd RIO.AX and BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) Ltd BHP.AX lost 2.9 percent and 4.9 percent respectively, on the week.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 finished flat at 7426.11 points, with gains in staples, basic materials and technology offset by energy and financials.
Westpac Banking Corp WBC.NZ lost 2 percent, while fuel retailer Z Energy Ltd ZEL.NZ shed 1.2 percent
The benchmark gained half a percent this week.