ASX 200 Pares Losses at Close

2026-07-08 06:42 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

The ASX 200 lost 19 points or 0.2% to finish at 8,785 on Wednesday, down for the third session amid weaker U.S.

stock futures following renewed tensions in the Middle East after Washington started a series of strikes against Iran Tuesday in response to attacks against three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Nerves also persisted as top trading partner China is set to release key data Thursday, including CPI and PPI figures for June.

Still, early losses were trimmed by RBA Assistant Governor Sarah Hunter, who noted economic activity stays resilient despite weaker consumer and business mood after the oil shock.

Sectoral pressure was broad, with electronic tech, non-energy minerals, and industrial services dragging.

BHP fell 2.3% after workers announced plans to strike on July 16 at its WA iron ore terminal, demanding recognition of specialist skills and costs.

Other notable laggards included Evolution Mining (-4.2%), Mineral Resources (-3.4%), and Greatland Resources (-2.8%).



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ASX 200 Pares Losses at Close
The ASX 200 lost 19 points or 0.2% to finish at 8,785 on Wednesday, down for the third session amid weaker U.S. stock futures following renewed tensions in the Middle East after Washington started a series of strikes against Iran Tuesday in response to attacks against three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Nerves also persisted as top trading partner China is set to release key data Thursday, including CPI and PPI figures for June. Still, early losses were trimmed by RBA Assistant Governor Sarah Hunter, who noted economic activity stays resilient despite weaker consumer and business mood after the oil shock. Sectoral pressure was broad, with electronic tech, non-energy minerals, and industrial services dragging. BHP fell 2.3% after workers announced plans to strike on July 16 at its WA iron ore terminal, demanding recognition of specialist skills and costs. Other notable laggards included Evolution Mining (-4.2%), Mineral Resources (-3.4%), and Greatland Resources (-2.8%).
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Australian stocks fell 116 points, or 1.3%, to 8,688 in Wednesday morning trade, extending losses for a third consecutive session and touching their lowest level in a week. Sentiment weakened after a negative lead from Wall Street overnight, where a broad selloff in U.S. chipmakers reflected growing concerns over the sustainability of the AI-driven rally. Investors also remained cautious ahead of China's June CPI and PPI data due later this week, with the readings expected to provide fresh clues on demand in Australia's largest trading partner. Meanwhile, markets awaited the minutes of the Federal Reserve's June meeting for further guidance on the U.S. interest rate outlook. Losses were broad-based, led by technology, materials, communication services, and financial stocks. Mining heavyweight BHP Group dropped 2.9%, while Evolution Mining slid 3.8%, Telstra lost 3.1%, and Macquarie Group fell 2.4%. The four major banks also traded lower, declining between 1.0% and 1.7%.
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