The Australian sharemarket closed marginally lower on Monday as losses in technology and healthcare stocks outweighed gains elsewhere, while investors weighed signs of diplomatic progress between the United States and Iran following mixed developments over the weekend.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 12.6 points, or 0.1%, to finish at 8,816.1, with six of the benchmark's 11 sectors ending the session lower.
Information technology was the weakest-performing sector, pressured by sharp losses in several major constituents.
WiseTech Global plunged 18.4%, making it the biggest decliner on the index, following media reports that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) had launched an investigation into executive chairman and founder Richard White.
Other technology stocks also retreated, with Xero falling 4.5%, TechnologyOne slipping 0.4%, and Codan declining 1.4%.
Healthcare stocks added further pressure to the benchmark. CSL fell 3.0%, Cochlear dropped 4.4%, and Sonic Healthcare lost 1.2%.
The Energy sector also weakened as crude oil prices eased following reports of progress in negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials, reducing concerns over potential supply disruptions in global energy markets.
Woodside Energy fell 0.9%, Beach Energy lost 1.6%, and Viva Energy declined 2.3%, while Santos closed flat.
Among individual companies, SGH gained 3.0% after announcing an on-market share buyback programme of up to $500 million over the next 12 months.
The industrials group said the initiative reflected its “disciplined approach to capital management”.
Shares in poultry producer Inghams fell 4.8% after Western Australian authorities confirmed the detection of the H5N1 avian influenza strain in two wild birds in the Esperance region.
The discovery raised concerns among investors about potential impacts on the broader poultry industry.
On bond markets, yields moved lower, with Australia's 10-year government bond yield fell 0.5% to 4.806%, while the two-year yield declined 1.0% to 4.497%.
