The resources sector appeared tied to ongoing analysis of weaker-than-expected US jobs data and an overnight dip on Wall Street, with basic materials down 0.4%, tight trading in gold and losses among base metals.

BHP Billiton was down 0.4% to $A37.35 while Rio Tinto improved 0.3% to $63.85.

Gold investors followed a 0.5% overnight slip in the value of the yellow metal to $US1333 per ounce before mostly sideways movements led it to about $1336 over the course of the session.

Gold companies experienced some of more outstanding losses in the mining space with Beadell Resources down 3.1% to $A93c, Primero Mining down 2.4% to $5.56 and Alacer Gold down 2.6% to $3.03.

Golden Rim Resources, meanwhile, fell 14.3% to 1.2c.

Nickel companies softened up after the metal lost 1.5% overnight to $US14,580 per tonne, with Sirius Resources managing a 1.2% gain to close at $A2.57% and Panoramic Resources down 3% to 32c.

Uranium producer Paladin Energy also marked a notable slide, closing 4.5% lower at 42.5c.

Trading also coincided with a series of reports from the Reserve Bank of Australia outlining the conduct of monetary policy with the Treasury as the government delves into a process to repeal the Minerals Resource Rent Tax.

“This is at a time when mining investment is no longer increasing, with the mining boom transitioning from one based on investment to one based on production,” RBA deputy governor Philip Lowe said in the text of an address to the CFA Australian Investment Conference today.

“As best we can tell, mining investment declined over the past year, while net exports rose strongly due to lower capital imports and the higher production of bulk commodities made possible by the earlier investment.”