AUSTRALIAN shares closed lower on Monday, snapping four straight sessions of gains, as a spike in domestic cases of the novel coronavirus forced fresh restrictions and renewed fears of further economic pain.
The S&P/ASX 200 index closed 0.7% lower at 6,014.6. For the year so far, the index has shed 9.37%.
On Monday, the border between Victoria and New South Wales was closed for the first time in 100 years to contain a COVID-19 outbreak in Melbourne. Victoria reported 127 new infections overnight, its biggest one-day spike since the pandemic began.
"Investors in the Australian market seem to be cautious about the upsurge in infections and want it to be under control, unlike in the U.S. where an increase in cases does not seem to be weighing on sentiment as much", said Henry Jennings, senior analyst at Marcustoday Financial.
...