* Aussie miners rally, close firmer for 8 sessions in nine
* "Big Four" banks lose between 0.7 and 1.2%
* IGO top gainer on benchmark, up 25%
By Arundhati Dutta
Dec 11 (Reuters) - Australian shares dipped on Friday, as gold stocks and financials traded in the red, though the index was poised for a sixth weekly gain on an iron ore rally that set domestic miners on course to add about 3% for the week.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO was down 0.4 at 6,657.7 by 1255 GMT, but on track for a weekly gain of 0.4%.
Asian markets were wobbly as concerns about U.S. stimulus and COVID-19 cases weighed globally on optimism. Attention on the stimulus grew sharper after data showed the number of Americans filing first-time claims for jobless benefits jumped to a near three-month high. home, CSL CSL.AX was one of the top drags in the benchmark index after the Australian drugmaker halted its COVID-19 vaccine as trials showed it could interfere with HIV diagnosis, sending shares down 2%. of buy-now-pay-later firm Zip Co Z1P.AX added 2.5% after it signed a deal with Facebook FB.O . .AXFJ , down as much as 0.9%, were the top losers of the day. The so-called "Big Four" banks shed between 0.7% and 1.2%.
An overnight drop in gold prices pushed the domestic gold index .AXGD 0.6% lower. Newcrest Mining NCM.AX and Evolution Mining EVN.AX , down 0.6% and 2.3% respectively, were among the top drags. GOL/
Bucking the sombre mood, miners .AXMM have been trading in positive territory in the last eight sessions of nine on an iron ore rally fuelled by vaccine optimism. IRONORE/
The top percentage gainer in the sub-index and the benchmark was IGO Ltd IGO.AX with a gain of nearly 25%, after stock returned to trade for the first time since Monday, when it was announced it would take a stake in Greenbushes, the world's largest hard-rock lithium mine. stocks .AXIJ climbed up to 1%.
Energy stocks .AXEJ rose 2% as vaccine optimism drove oil prices to their highest since March. Shares of Whitehaven Coal WHC.AX and Beach Energy BPT.AX , up about 6% and 5% respectively, gained the most.
In New Zealand, the benchmark .NZ50 was down 0.09% by 1221 GMT.