Live News CENTRAL_BANK ARTICLE H impact Sep 21, 2026, 12:55 AM UTC

Australian Stocks Slip at Start of Week

Australian shares fell 24 points, or 0.3%, to around 8,705 on Monday morning, marking a second subdued session as oil prices rose after Yemen's Houthis struck Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh. Locally, Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock struck a hawkish tone in parliament, warning that inflation remains stubbornly high and upside risks are materialising, keeping the risk of further rate hikes alive. Still, losses were capped by a notable rise in U.S. stock futures, while investors focused on the upcoming bilateral summit between U.S. President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House Thursday. Healthcare, non-energy minerals and industrials led declines, while gains in consumer durables, utilities and technology provided some offset. Two of the four major banks slipped, while Nextdc Ltd. (-1.6%), Xero Ltd. (-1.5%) and Reece Ltd. (-1.3%) posted notable losses. Investors now await Australia’s flash September PMI and August labour-market data later this week.

SquawkNews Newsroom 2 updates Updated Sep 21, 2026, 01:21 AM UTC

Story updates

01:14:54 AM UTC

SquawkNews

Australian shares inched lower on Monday, led by heavyweight banks and miners, as risk appetite weakened after renewed tensions in the Middle East.The S&P/ASX 200 index ASX:XJO ticked 0.3% lower to 8,705.40 by 0018 GMT. The benchmark ended flat on Friday, finishing the week with a 0.1% loss.Iran an…

01:21:41 AM UTC

SquawkNews

Australia's major banks are gravitating toward the view that the Reserve Bank of Australia will raise interest rate a further 50 basis points before the end of the year. ANZ and CBA have now adopted that view following hawkish comments last week by senior central bank officials. Recent RBA communic…

3%, to around 8,705 on Monday morning, marking a second subdued session as oil prices rose after Yemen's Houthis struck Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh. Locally, Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock struck a hawkish tone in parliament, warning that inflation remains stubbornly high and upside risks are materialising, keeping the risk of further rate hikes alive. S. S.

President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House Thursday. Healthcare, non-energy minerals and industrials led declines, while gains in consumer durables, utilities and technology provided some offset. Two of the four major banks slipped, while Nextdc Ltd. 6%), Xero Ltd.

5%) and Reece Ltd. 3%) posted notable losses. Investors now await Australia’s flash September PMI and August labour-market data later this week.