Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 slips to 8,585 as banks and energy weigh, while gold and lithium miners rally (Dec 17, 2025)
Australia’s share market finished modestly lower on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, with the S&P/ASX 200 easing for a third straight session as weakness in banks, energy, healthcare and consumer staples outweighed a strong rebound across gold and lithium-linked resources stocks. TradingView+2ABC+2 The headline index closed down 13.7 points at 8,585.2, after a choppy day in which advancers narrowly beat decliners across the broader market—an intraday tug-of-war reflecting a late-year market stuck between “Santa rally” hopes and renewed concern about 2026 interest rates. TradingView+1