The sharemarket suffered broad-based falls at the close today as investors offloaded risk ahead of the weekend.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index closed down 30.6 points, or 0.68 per cent, at 4493.5 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index lost 28.8 points (0.63 per cent) at 4507.4 points.

On the Sydney Futures Exchange, the September share price index contract was 29 points higher at 4465, on 25,394 contracts.

Burrell Stockbroking adviser Daniel Manley said investors were taking money off the table ahead of the weekend.

“The banks are all down, resources are down … the energy sector is not doing too well either, even though oil didn’t have too bad a night, so it is a broad-based fall,” Mr Manley said.

The big banks were all pushed lower, and Macquarie Group fell more than 3 per cent, at $37.20, after it released commentary on its earnings.

“We are really seeing a complete lack of investor confidence (in Macquarie),” Mr Manley said.

Commonwealth Bank closed down 45c at $52.56, Westpac lost 26c at $23.99, National Australia Bank fell 20c at $25.13 and ANZ fell 14c at $23.05.

(Source: TheAustralian.com.au)