Australian shares ended lower in the final session of the financial year amid weakness in the real estate and materials sectors.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 44.7 points, or 0.5%, to 8,778.7, with seven of the 11 sectors finishing in negative territory.
Real estate investment trusts led declines during the session, with Goodman Group down 3%, Charter Hall Group falling 1.1%, Mirvac Group dipping 2.6 %, and Stockland falling 2.2%.
The Materials sector also underperformed. Major miners declined, with BHP down 0.7%, Rio Tinto slipping 0.9% and Fortescue closing 1.9% lower.
Gold miners also weakened as spot prices traded near seven-month lows around US$4,000 amid continued U.S. dollar strength.
Northern Star Resources fell 5.8%, Evolution Mining lost 5.2%, and Newmont declined 2.2%.
Capricorn Metals bucked the broader weakness in the gold sector, rising 0.5% after receiving federal environmental approval for its Mount Gibson Gold Project, clearing a key regulatory step ahead of final approvals in Western Australia.
Financials pushed higher, despite mixed trading among the big four banks. Commonwealth Bank added 0.6%, ANZ gained 0.4%, while National Australia Bank and Westpac each eased 0.1%.
Collins Foods fell 2.5% despite reporting record FY26 results and lifting its dividend payout.
The KFC operator posted statutory net profit after tax of $47.1 million, up from $12.4 million in FY25. Revenue rose 8.6% year-on-year to $1.6 billion.
Uranium producer Deep Yellow shed 2.5% after agreeing to acquire a 50% stake in the Cooper Creek joint venture in the Northern Territory from Energy Resources of Australia.
Sims fell 1.6% after announcing board and leadership changes aimed at supporting succession planning and accelerating growth in its Sims Lifecycle Services division.
The company appointed North America metals chief Rob Thompson to lead its global metals business as long-serving executive John Glyde begins a transition to retirement.
On the bond markets, Australian government bond yields declined, with both the 10-year and 2-year rates down 0.3% at 4.726% and 4.43%, respectively.
