Australian stocks climbed 14 points, or 0.2%, to 8,747 in early Friday trading, extending gains for a third consecutive session after Wall Street rebounded overnight. Falling oil prices and softer Treasury yields helped ease investor concerns following the Federal Reserve's rate-hike shock. Technology, non-energy minerals and consumer durables led the advance, while healthcare, energy minerals and retail stocks limited the market's rise. Gold miners outperformed, with Northern Star Resources gaining 2.7% and Evolution Mining rising 3.0%; Lynas Rare Earths, Perseus Mining and South32 each added more than 2%. The market was little changed over the week as traders assessed RBA Governor Michele Bullock's remarks before parliament that upside inflation risks are emerging from surging global energy costs tied to the prolonged Middle East conflict, alongside pressures from the AI data-centre boom and extreme weather.