Australian shares ended lower on Wednesday, the first trading day of the new financial year, as banks dragged on softer house price data, though gains in miners, led by South32, limited losses.
The S&P/ASX 200 index closed 0.6% lower at 8,722.90. The benchmark had ended down 0.5% on Tuesday. The Australian bourse began the new quarter on a softer note after gaining 3.5% in April-June, lagging global peers as uncertainty over the central bank's rate path and Middle East-linked inflation risks clouded the outlook.
