Australian Shares Drop Further on Wall Street Jitters, Jobs Data

2026-10-15 00:54 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

Australian stocks fell 42 points or 0.5% to 8,686 in early Thursday trading, extending losses to their weakest level in a week.

A sharp Wall Street sell-off hit sentiment after hotter-than-expected U.S.

inflation data rattled tech stocks and revived bets on Fed hikes.

Locally, September jobs data showed the unemployment rate stuck at a near five-year high of 4.7% as employment unexpectedly declined.

In major trading partner China, September CPI quickened but undershot forecasts, while producer prices rose more than expected; exports and imports surged to record highs, driving a strong trade surplus.

Sectoral losses were led by tech, non-energy minerals, industrial services, and consumer durables, partly offset by gains in communications, consumer non-durables, and utilities.

Heavyweight BHP Group slumped 3.8% despite securing a deal to avert a strike at Chile’s Escondida copper mine.

Other major laggards included Goodman Group (-3.8%), Lynas Rare Earths (-3.7%), and Codan Ltd. (-3.4%).



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Australian Shares Drop Further on Wall Street Jitters, Jobs Data
Australian stocks fell 42 points or 0.5% to 8,686 in early Thursday trading, extending losses to their weakest level in a week. A sharp Wall Street sell-off hit sentiment after hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data rattled tech stocks and revived bets on Fed hikes. Locally, September jobs data showed the unemployment rate stuck at a near five-year high of 4.7% as employment unexpectedly declined. In major trading partner China, September CPI quickened but undershot forecasts, while producer prices rose more than expected; exports and imports surged to record highs, driving a strong trade surplus. Sectoral losses were led by tech, non-energy minerals, industrial services, and consumer durables, partly offset by gains in communications, consumer non-durables, and utilities. Heavyweight BHP Group slumped 3.8% despite securing a deal to avert a strike at Chile’s Escondida copper mine. Other major laggards included Goodman Group (-3.8%), Lynas Rare Earths (-3.7%), and Codan Ltd. (-3.4%).
2026-10-15
ASX Dips 0.6% at Finish
The ASX 200 lost 56 points, or 0.6%, to close at 8,728 on Wednesday, reversing recent gains as financials, consumer durables, and transport weighed. Traders turned cautious ahead of the upcoming labor data, after August unemployment hit 4.6%, the highest since late 2021. Meanwhile, Australia’s leading index slipped 0.1% in September, its first decline since May, due to higher fuel costs and rising borrowing rates. Still, losses were partly offset by firmer U.S.stock futures ahead of a key inflation report amid elevated oil prices. In top trading partner China, September CPI was slightly below forecasts, but producer prices rose more than expected. Meanwhile, Chinese exports and imports hit record highs, driving a solid trade surplus. The big four banks fell between 0.9% and 2.3%, while BHP (-0.9%) and Rio Tinto (-0.3%) also lagged. Other laggards included Genesis Minerals (-3.9%), Evolution Mining (-2.9%), and Qantas Airways (-2.2%).
2026-10-14
Australian Stocks Trade Notably Lower
Australian shares dipped 70 points, or 0.8%, to 8,714 in Wednesday morning trade, extending weakness from the prior session. Sentiment weakened after Wall Street closed mostly lower overnight, with earnings from major banks and pressure on memory chip stocks weighing, alongside softer oil prices and persistent Middle East tensions. Locally, caution grew ahead of September labor market data, while minutes from the RBA’s September meeting signaled further hikes remained possible as flagged upside risks materialised. In main trading partner China, CPI/PPI and trade data are due later today. Financials, healthcare, consumer stocks, and services dragged, partly offset by gains in tech and energy minerals. Rio Tinto slipped 0.4% after steady copper output in Q3, with strong Oyu Tolgoi performance offsetting declines elsewhere. The four big banks fell sharply, down 1.4%–2.4%. Other notable laggards included Pro Medicus (-3.4%), Genesis Minerals (-2.5%), and Aristocrat Leisure (-1.9%).
2026-10-14