The ASX 200 fell 23 points, or 0.3%, to close at 8,762 on Thursday, marking a fourth consecutive decline. Sentiment was hit after U.S. President Trump said he was not interested in further talks with Iran and warned that Washington could carry out additional strikes, eroding hopes for a diplomatic solution to the Middle East conflict.
On the macro front, the International Monetary Fund cut its 2026 growth forecast for Australia to 1.9% from 2.0%, and warned that consumer price inflation is likely to remain persistently high at around 4% in 2026.
Sector performance was mixed. Process industries, non-energy minerals, healthcare, and consumer non-durables dragged on the market, while gains in consumer durables, energy minerals, retail trade, and industrial services provided some offset.
Among major miners, BHP Group slipped 1.1%, and Rio Tinto dropped 3.3%, pressured by weaker copper prices. Gold producers also retreated, with Evolution Mining down 1.7% and Northern Star Resources off 0.9%. Three of the four major banks declined, losing between 0.1% and 0.8%.
