The Australian share market has closed slightly higher as investors await key jobs figures in the US which are likely to influence whether the US Federal Reserve lifts interest rates in December.

CMC Markets chief market analyst Ric Spooner said the local bourse had not performed badly on Friday, considering the ANZ Bank was trading ex-dividend, a nervous lead from US markets, and a significant drop in the copper price.

“We’ve held up okay,” Mr Spooner said.

“The overall theme of the market is one of being cautious before tonight’s jobs figures in the US, which is has a chance of cementing the market view on what the Fed is going to do about increasing interest rates.”

Among the major banks, ANZ was 68 cents lower at $25.97, Commonwealth Bank was up 74 cents at $76.59, Westpac gained 54 cents at $31.65, and National Australia Bank lifted nine cents to $28.65.

In the resources sector, global miner BHP Billiton fell 58 cents to $22.70 amid news that a dam has burst at a BHP-owned mining waste site in Brazil, killing at least 17 people and injuring more than 50.

Rio Tinto was 65 cents higher at $50.80, and Fortescue Metals added 10 cents to $2.23.

Oil and gas producer Woodside Petroleum surrendered 65 cents to $29.98, and Santos retreated 10 cents to $5.91.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp shed 38 cents to $21.33 after it suffered a 15 per cent slide in first quarter earnings as advertisers continue to shy away from newspapers.

Rail and ports operator Asciano jumped 67 cents, or 8.09 per cent, to $8.95 as Canadian predator Brookfield Infrastructure acquired a 14.9 per cent stake in the company.

KEY FACTS

* At 1619 AEDT on Friday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 22 points, or 0.42 per cent, at 5,215.0 points.

* The broader All Ordinaries index was up 21.8 points, or 0.42 per cent, at 5,269.7 points.

* The December share price index futures contract was up 43 points at 5,229 points, with 27,454 contracts traded.

* National turnover was 2.1 billion securities worth $5.6 billion.