Australian shares traded lower on Tuesday, as the losses in heavyweight banking stocks overshadowed the gains in miners, while traders awaited the fourth-quarter domestic growth data due later this week for cues on the central bank’s next moves.
The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.3% to 7,713.9 by 2354 GMT.
The benchmark closed 0.1% lower on Monday. Investor focus is now on the fourth-quarter Australian gross domestic product data due on Wednesday. Analysts are expecting GDP to have risen by 1.4% on a year-on-year basis, according to a Reuters poll of economists.
That compares to 2.1% growth shown in the prior quarter.
The Reserve Bank of Australia is scheduled to meet on March 19 to disclose its monetary policy stance.
“GDP forecasts remain fragile with non-negligible risks of a negative, while the early signals from China are that authorities are not inclined to deliver meaningful stimulus,” Westpac analysts wrote. Heavyweight financials dragged the benchmark lower, snapping a three-day rally.
It lost 0.5%, with the “Big Four” banks losing between 0.2% and 0.4%.
Miners countered the losses by advancing 1.1%, where behemoths BHP Group, Rio Tinto and Fortescue added 1.2%, 1.7% and 2.1%, respectively.
Australia shares retreat from record high as miners push back; growth data on tap
Energy stocks tracked oil prices lower on demand headwinds to lose 0.2%, with sector majors Woodside Energy and Santos dropping around 0.1% each.
Gold stocks extended gains to a fourth session, jumping 4% to a month-high.
Northern Star Resources climbed 2.9%, while Evolution Mining added 4.4%.
Healius jumped 14.2% after the healthcare firm said it would start a review, following the fall out of its $1 billion takeover by rival Australian Clinical Labs last year. New Zealand’s S&P/NZX 50 index lost 0.3%, or 34.73 points, to 11,689.48.
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