Gold, mining stocks drag Australian shares lower

Australian shares ended lower on Wednesday as heavyweight miners and gold stocks slipped on weaker commodity prices, while rising coronavirus cases at home also added to investor worries.

The S&P/ASX 200 index closed down 0.2% at 7,512 points, with most sectors trading in the red. The index had closed flat on Tuesday.

The gold index tumbled as much as 3.6%, its lowest level in six months, after a firmer dollar and a rise in US Treasury yields dragged bullion below the $1,800-per-ounce level.

Red5 Ltd slid 8.9% to lead losses on the gold index, while Northern Star Resources and Newcrest Mining shed 5.1% and 2.8%, respectively.

Miners fell 1% and extended losses to a third consecutive session on the back of weak iron ore and copper prices.

The tech index shed 0.9%, with heavyweight Afterpay falling 2%.

Financials bucked the trend to gain 0.6%, with Macquarie Group jumping as much as 6.8% to hit a record high after flagging better-than-expected profit for the first half.

Adding to the dour sentiment was New South Wales recording a jump in COVID-19 cases as authorities struggle to quell the Delta variant outbreak amid accelerating vaccinations.

Investors still seem to be digesting Tuesday's decision by the central bank to stick with its plans to trim its weekly bond purchases.

"The central bank expects the economy to grow again in the December quarter on the back of increasing vaccinations. However, the re-emergence of virus cases in countries with high vaccination rates, like Israel, underscores the uncertainty on the path ahead," Kunal Sawhney, CEO of Kalkine Group, said in a note.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index ended 1% lower at 13,193.01, with real estate stocks losing the most.