Australian equities fell 45 points, or 0.5%, to 8,666 in early Wednesday trade, marking a seventh consecutive session of losses and the lowest level in three weeks. A weak lead from Wall Street on Tuesday weighed on risk sentiment, with traders turning cautious ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s rate decision later in the day.
Domestically, focus was on Australia’s March CPI report, due today, with markets expecting inflation of around 4.7%. That would mark the highest reading since the monthly series began in April 2025, reflecting persistent cost pressures that have been building since mid-2025. The Reserve Bank of Australia meets next week, and expectations for further rate hikes are increasing.
On the sector front, non-energy minerals, commercial services, and healthcare pulled the ASX 200 lower, though gains in consumer durables and energy minerals helped limit the decline. Among notable laggards were BHP Group (-2.3%), Cochlear Ltd (-1.9%), and Westgold Resources (-1.5%). Shares of the four major banks fell between 0.2% and 1.2%.
