AUSTRALIAN shares capped a record-breaking week with an unexpectedly strong finish as the market consolidated above the key 2,000-point barrier. The market's major indicator, the All Ordinaries Index, jumped 53.5 points for the week to finish at 2,026.2 after striking a six-year high of 2,031.8 on Thursday. The industrial sector continued to strengthen, rising 61 points to finish at 3,154.8 while the All Resources index ended almost 50 points firmer at 1,163.2. Volumes were slightly higher at a daily average of 165.83, up 13 million shares on the previous week, while the value of shares traded was an average A$383.3 million, compared with $320.2 million previously. Brokers said the market continued to be boosted by offshore buying, despite uncertainty over the dollar. ''This is an encouraging finish after a slow start to the day,'' said Philip Toop at Lance Jones. December share price index futures jumped 6.5 points to 2,040 after spending most of the day in the doldrums. About 1,560 lots changed hands. ''There was a bit of apprehension but people think the market can go further,'' Mr Toop said. Firmer copper and nickel prices helped some resource stocks. MIM and Western Mining both jumped 11 cents to $2.07 and $5.21, respectively. QNI rose three to 90 cents. Market leader BHP lost four cents to $17.06, while News Corp rose two to $10.80. Foster's topped industrial turnover with 10.2 million shares traded. The stock ended steady at $1.43. Associated Dairies rose four cents to $3. Market sources said neither of the rival bidders, QUF Industries and Australian Co-Operative Foods, were the buyers. QUF is offering $2.97 a share for Associated Dairies and ACF $2.96. QUF shares rose five cents to $3.70. The gold marker jumped 37 points to 2,094.3. Samantha Gold was up 20 cents to $3.15. Equity in Industry, which owns 43 per cent of Samantha, was up 35 to $2.80, while Resolute Resources, which owns about 90 per cent of Equity in Industry, rose 12 cents, or 9.9 per cent, to $1.33.
