Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 Drops 1.3% as $100 Oil Revives RBA Rate-Hike Fears
Australian shares fell 1.3% Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 closing at 8,629.00 after oil surged above $100 a barrel following attacks on Middle East fuel tankers. Financials dropped 1.5% and miners 1.7%, while energy stocks rose sharply. Traders now see a 75% chance of another Reserve Bank rate hike next week. The index is down over 6% in March, on track for its worst month since September 2022.