Australian ASX 200 slides over 0.6% amid gold‑miner and tech stock drops

Australian equities fell for a third straight session, with the S&P/ASX 200 index dropping about 0.6% to around 8,720‑8,745. The decline was led by gold‑mining companies such as Newmont, Evolution Mining, Northern Star Resources and Genesis Minerals, and by technology firms including Block (owner of Afterpay), Xero, Appen, Zip and WiseTech Global.

The broader market was also pressured by steep falls in rare‑earth and lithium producers such as Lynas Rare Earths, Liontown Resources, Mineral Resources, Pilbara Minerals and Iluka Resources, reflecting a global semiconductor sell‑off. Financial‑sector shares were mixed, with the big four banks showing modest losses or flat performance, while energy stocks moved in both directions. The Australian dollar traded near US$0.693‑0.695.

The sell‑off came amid weaker risk appetite after U.S. market moves, easing expectations of further Fed rate hikes, and heightened Middle‑East tensions that lifted oil prices and bond yields, further denting investor sentiment across the region.