Australian shares slid on Wednesday as index heavyweight banks retreated on mounting concerns about the sector’s exposure to high borrowing costs, a housing market slowdown, and pressure on household finances.
The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.6% to close at 8,727.90 after ending flat on Tuesday.
Financials pulled back 1.4% after three consecutive sessions of gains, as Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:CBA) slid 2.2%, while the other three ‘Big Four’ lenders fell between 0.2% and 1.8%.
The weakness followed mixed quarterly results from Wall Street banks overnight, which suggested that bond market volatility and uncertainty stemming from the Iran crisis may be weighing on dealmaking activity.
For Australian banks, the latest sell-off reflects persistent concerns about a challenging operating environment marked by elevated interest rates, a cooling housing market and imported inflation that continues to squeeze consumers.
Those concerns were reinforced by minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia’s September policy meeting released on Tuesday, which showed policymakers still see risks that inflation could prove more persistent than expected.
“Wall Street’s mixed banking results have added to the negative sentiment toward the local banks today, but I think the bigger issue for Australian banks is the deteriorating domestic earnings outlook,” said Grady Wulff, a senior market analyst at Bell Direct.
Mining stocks fell 0.9%, with gold producers among the biggest decliners after bullion prices steadied following losses in the previous session.
Energy stocks rose 0.8% as oil prices gained on Middle East worries. Santos (ASX:STO) climbed 1.4% to post its highest close since November 2014.
Glencore’s (ASX:GLC) Australian shares ended their first trading session at $11.23, below their opening level. The company’s CHESS Depositary Interests opened at $11.44, a small premium to the stock’s London close.
New Zealand’s benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.1% to 13,760.39.
(Reporting by Nichiket Sunil in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
Main image: Unsplash
