The ASX 200 was hit hard today after a mixed night for international markets, with the big banks leading the way down. The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) share price, for instance, finished 1.5% lower.
Here's a quick recap:
- S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) down 1% to 5673 points
- ALL ORDINARIES (Index: ^AXAO) (ASX: XAO) down 0.9% to 5717 points
- AUD/USD at US 76.54 cents
- Iron Ore at US$65.40 a tonne, according to the Metal Bulletin
- Gold at US$1,219.80 an ounce
- Brent oil at US$48.20 a barrel
While the ANZ share price acted as a weight on the market, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price dropped 1% as well, while Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) was down 1.1%.
The Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price slipped 0.5% as well. In contrast, BHP Billiton Limited (ASX: BHP) and Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) were among the few blue-chips to end the session in the black following a positive session for the iron ore price.
The gold price rose, as well, helping to boost the Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) share price and the Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) share price. The pair rose 2% and 1.7%, respectively.
Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS) was among the market's biggest losers today. Its share price slipped 2.8%, while the Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price fell 2.9%.
Finally, bucking the market's down trend was Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH), which soared 34.2%. The company issued a trading update, announcing it expects its sales during the second half to grow 8.3% compared to the prior corresponding period. That's off the back of forecast like-for-like sales growth of 1% for the period.
Here are Wednesday's top stories:
