Australia: Shares close near 2015 trough in broad selling

[SYDNEY] Australian shares came within a whisker of their 2015 trough on Monday, in line with a rout in the region, as falling oil prices and worries that U.S. interest rates will be hiked this week unsettled the market.

The S&P/ASX 200 index shed 2.01 per cent, or 100.85 points, to finish at 4,928.60. The benchmark fell as deep as 4,928.00, nearing its 2015 low of 4,918.40 in late September. Losses were broad with almost every sector under pressure.

New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 index ended 0.57 per cent, or 34.69 points, lower at 6,035.25.

REUTERS