Australia: Shares slip as healthcare, banking stocks drag

[BENGALURU] Australian stocks closed slightly lower on Tuesday (Jan 18), as shares of export-focused healthcare companies slid due to a softer US dollar, and banks weakened after data showed a spurt in Covid-19 cases battered consumer confidence.

The S&P/ASX 200 closed 0.1 per cent lower at 7,408.80 after rising 0.3 per cent earlier in the day. The benchmark had added 0.3 per cent on Monday.

Healthcare stocks gave up 1.2 per cent as the US dollar failed to capitalise from a rise in Treasury yields. CSL led the decline with a 1.3 per cent drop.

Risk sentiment was also hit as Australia suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic, with the Omicron variant pushing up hospitalisation rates to record levels.

"Investors continue to be cautious amid the Covid-19 situation," said Kunal Sawhney, chief executive of Kalkine Group.

"Quarterly updates will be the biggest drivers of the market in the days to come, besides sinusoidal economic factors and evolving Covid-19 developments."

Meanwhile, Australian consumer confidence slid to its lowest since October 2020, lower even than during the Delta variant surge, a survey from ANZ showed.

Heavyweight financials retreated 0.3 per cent, with the country's 4 largest lenders falling between 0.2 per cent and 0.4 per cent.

By contrast, miners rose 0.6 per cent after 2 straight sessions of losses, with Fortescue Metals Group and BHP Group up 0.4 per cent and 1 per cent, respectively, while South32 climbed 2.2 per cent.

However, Rio Tinto dropped as much as 2 per cent after the world's biggest iron ore producer forecast weaker-than-expected 2022 iron ore shipments due to a tight labour market and production delays.

New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 inched 0.1 per cent higher to 12,814.46, even as a survey showed business confidence and demand dropped in the fourth quarter of 2021 as the Covid-19 outbreak dragged on.

REUTERS