Australia: Shares slump, NZ soft as weak data weighs on sentiment

[SYDNEY] Australian shares shed 1 per cent on Tuesday, led by losses in resources and industrial stocks, following downbeat manufacturing data from China and the US and poor consumer confidence numbers at home.

The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 50.3 points to 4,993.3 by the close of trade, more than erasing the previous day's gain of 0.8 per cent. The benchmark is down nearly 6 per cent so far in 2016.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 5.6 points, or 0.1 per cent, to finish the session at 6,180.1.

REUTERS