FX.co ★ Australian Shares Fall on Weak Sentiment

The S&P/ASX 200 Index experienced a slight decline of 0.1%, closing below the 7,760 mark on Wednesday, thereby halting a two-day upward trend. This shift followed a downturn on Wall Street, influenced by President Donald Trump's rapidly changing trade strategies, which have created uncertainty among investors. Global markets remain tentative with the prospect of upcoming trade discussions between the U.S. and important partners, most notably China. Domestically, attention has shifted towards Thursday's employment figures, expected to provide new insights into the labor market and guide the Reserve Bank of Australia's future policy decisions. Leading the declines were prominent companies such as BHP Group (-1.3%), CSL Ltd (-1%), and Woodside Energy (-1.6%). In contrast to this trend, Zip Co made significant gains, soaring over 12% after announcing record quarterly cash earnings and revising its fiscal 2025 earnings forecast upwards.