SYDNEY/WELLINTO: Australian shares closed lower on Thursday, dragged down by banks and Woolworths Group, as the country's most populous state grappled with a double-digit rise in Covid-19 cases.
The ASX 200 index slipped 0.3% to 7,275.3, heading for its first weekly drop in five.
The 'Big Four' banks fell about 1% each, in line with broader financial stocks.
Woolworths Group tumbled 11.2% in its biggest fall ever, after Endeavour Group made its market debut after being spun-off by the supermarket chain.
Energy stocks fell 1.2%.
Miners gained 0.6%, with Rio Tinto, BHP Group and Fortescue Metals Group rising about 1% each.
Across the Tasman sea, New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index closed flat at 12,586.89.
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