Australian shares fell on Thursday, dragged by mining stocks on weak iron ore prices, while the US Federal Reserve pencilling in another 25 basis point rate hike by this year end hit sentiment.
The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.9% to 6,953.00 by 2336 GMT, after a two-day rally. The benchmark ended 0.9% higher on Wednesday.
The Fed raised rates by 25 basis points, as widely expected, and said some additional tightening might be possible, but suggested it was on the verge of pausing future hikes amid recent turmoil in the financial sector.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell, however, reiterated his desire to tame inflation, saying the Fed will do “enough” to bring inflation down to 2%, and it would raise rates higher if it needs to.
In Sydney, miners fell 1.6%, hitting their lowest since Nov. 28 as iron prices fell.
Sector majors Rio Tinto, BHP Group and Fortescue Metals Group dipped between 1.1% and 2.3%. Banking stocks shed 0.8%, with three of the ‘Big Four’ lenders falling between 0.1% and 0.4%.
Tech stocks tracked their Wall Street peers lower, falling 1.1%. ASX-listed shares of Block Inc and Xero Ltd dipped 5.2% and 3.2%, respectively, and were among the top losers on the bourse.
Australian shares close higher as investors await Fed’s rate decision
Gold stocks rose 1.3% after two days of losses, as bullion prices jumped.
Gold has climbed over 7% so far this month, closing in on record highs above $2,000 hit in March 2020 on concerns surrounding the banking and financial industry, mainly triggered by higher rates.
Newcrest Mining and Northern Star Resources added 1.8% and 3.3%, respectively, and were among the top gainers on the bourse.
New Zealand’s benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 0.7% to 11,501.06. Leading NZ50 losses, Warehouse Group slumped as much as 14.6%, after it reported a 60.9% drop in half-year profit after tax.
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