Day traders' weekend lounge April 19 - 21

Thanks afternoon crew. An ominous way to end the week. Let's hope the Middle East tit-for-tat peters out before someone breaks something. Have a good weekend, all.

End-of-day summary:

A torrid week for Australian investors ended with the ASX 200's lowest close in two months after an Israeli attack on Iran sent shivers through financial markets.

The Australian benchmark mounted a partial afternoon recovery to finish 75 points or 0.98% in the red after earlier plunging as much as 150 points. The rebound was cold comfort for investors who have seen the index tumble 2.8% this week as traders resigned themselves to the prospect there could be few, if any, interest rate cuts this year.

The ASX hit its low around lunchtime following the first reports of explosions inside Iran. The BBC said US sources attributed the attack to Israel.

S&P 500 futures plunged 1.6% in the US before paring their fall as later reports suggested limited damage. By the Australian market close, S&P 500 futures had halved their decline to 0.83%.