SYDNEY: Australian shares closed lower on Wednesday as investors stayed away from risky bets ahead of the corporate earnings season, while a spike in domestic Covid-19 cases continued to bruise risk sentiment.

The S&P/ASX 200 index was down 0.6% at 6,001.3 points at the close of trade.

Financials dropped 0.8%, with three of the 'Big Four' banks falling in the range of 0.3% to 1.3%.

The sub-index for healthcare stocks receded more than a percent, with heavyweight CSL Ltd losing 1.8%.

Industrial stocks were down 1.5%, dragged by losses among the likes of Transurban Group and Sydney Airport Holdings, down 1.4% and 2.3%.

Bucking the tepid trend, gold stocks surged about 3%, as prices of the underlying yellow metal scaled an all-time peak, helped by bets for more stimulus measures against the pandemic-ravaged global economy.

The country's largest independent gold miner Newcrest Mining Ltd jumped 2.9%.

Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index ended 0.1% lower at 11,757.7 points, hurt by financial and healthcare stocks.