News: XMM Australian shares end lower as healthcare, commodity stocks drag

	  Healthcare stocks down after CSL faces setback in drug 

trial

	  U.S. January inflation data in focus 

	  ANZ Group Holdings surges on interim results 

	  JB Hi-Fi top gainer on the benchmark 

(Updates to close)

Australian shares snapped a three-session winning streak on Monday, dragged by healthcare and commodity stocks, as local investors await U.S. inflation numbers for cues on interest rates.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) closed 0.4% lower at 7,614.9 points. The benchmark fell 0.7% for the previous week.

Globally, market watchers await the January U.S. inflation data due on Tuesday, after the revised consumer price index (CPI)for December indicated easing inflation.

Analysts at ANZ continue to favour November as the starting point of the cycle when the Reserve Bank of Australia may begin cutting interest rates, a move that could be influenced by the inflation print from the U.S.

Back In Sydney, healthcare stocks .AXHJ dropped 3.2%, marking their worst day since mid-October, 2023, after bio-tech major CSL (CSL) announced a setback in a cardiovascular drug trial alongside results. The priciest stock in the benchmark ended down 4.8%.

The energy sub-index .AXEJ closed 1% lower, hitting its lowest level since Jan. 24, amid falling oil prices.

Sector major Woodside (WDS) fell 2.2%, while Santos (STO) ended the day 0.3% higher.

Heayweight miners .AXMM also fell 0.6%, with mining giants BHP Group (BHP) and Rio Tinto (RIO) falling 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively.

Bucking the trend, financial stocks .AXFJ closed 0.1% higher.

ANZ Group (ANZ) gained as much as 1.6%, reaching its highest level since January 2022, after the lender reported its first-quarter group revenue in line with the quarterly average of its first-half fiscal 2023 revenue.

Tech majors Xero (XRO) and Wisetech Global (WTC) rose as much as 2% and 1.8%, respectively with the broader tech sub-index .AXIJ ending 1% higher.

Shares of JB Hi-Fi (JBH) climbed as much as 7.5% to their highest level and emerging as the top gainer on the benchmark, after it beat market estimates for interim results.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) ended 0.9% lower at 11,757.97 points. The benchmark fell to its lowest since Jan. 24.