Australia: Shares recede on commodity softness, NZ index rises

Published Tue, Oct 13, 2015 · 05:57 AM

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    [SYDNEY] Australian shares on Tuesday fell further away from recent six-week highs as a return of risk aversion pushed down prices of copper, gold and other commodities.

    The S&P/ASX 200 index dropped 0.6 per cent to 5,202.9 at the close of trade. On Monday, when shares briefly touched six-week highs, the benchmark closed down 0.9 per cent.

    Energy and mining stocks were hard hit on Tuesday from the combination of lower oil prices and profit-taking following recent hefty gains.

    In contrast, New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index extended gains with a 0.2 per cent increase or 12.99 points. During the session, it reached a three-week high before closing at 5,702.82.

    REUTERS

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