Australia: Shares close at 8-month low as rate hikes in focus

[BENGALURU] Australian shares sank 2.5 per cent on Tuesday (Jan 25) to close at their lowest level in more than 8 months, as risk-averse sentiment strengthened after a surge in the country's core inflation spurred expectations of a quicker-than-expected rate hike.

The retreat from riskier assets also came ahead of the US Federal Reserve's 2-day meeting, with investors starting to speculate that there is a small possibility that they will announce a surprise rate hike.

The S&P/ASX 200 ended down 2.5 per cent at 6,961.6, hitting its lowest close since last May.

Australia's core inflation accelerated to its fastest annual pace since 2014 in the December quarter, data showed on Tuesday.

"With a rather clear case that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is making progress towards its goals of full employment and inflation, the RBA will need to rewrite the policy narrative," said Prashant Newnaha, senior Asia-Pacific rates strategist, TD Securities.

"We expect the RBA's central forecast to now shift to a hike in 2023, but the RBA will possibly open the door to a rate hike in 2022 if its upside forecasts are realised." The RBA had earlier said it would maintain record low rates until 2024.

Energy stocks were the top drags in the benchmark, tumbling 4.1 per cent to their worst day in 1 1/2 years.

Oil and gas majors Woodside Petroleum and Santos fell 4.5 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively.

Australian tech stocks plunged 3.2 per cent to their lowest close since September 2020. Computershare and Xero lost 3 per cent and 3.6 per cent, respectively.

Shares of US-based "buy now, pay later" company Sezzle jumped 9.4 per cent after confirming merger talks with larger Australian rival Zip.

New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 fell 0.5 per cent to 12,128.21.

Dairy firm a2 Milk climbed 6.2 per cent amid reports that it was a takeover target.

REUTERS