AU Evening Wrap: Australia Shares Close 0.2% Lower as RBA Confirms Hawkish Outlook

Australia's $S&P/ASX 200 (.XJO.AU)$ closed 0.2% lower at 7336.3 as minutes from the Australian central bank's most recent board meeting reconfirmed its hawkish stance on interest rates.

Bank stocks gave back some of their prior-session gains. Travel-related stocks also fell amid uncertainty about the impact of interest-rate rises on the economy. $Web Travel Group Ltd (WEB.AU)$, $Corporate Travel Management Ltd (CTD.AU)$ and $Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AU)$ shed between 1.6% and 2.7%. The consumer-staples sector lost ground, with shares of $Costa Group Holdings Ltd (CGC.AU)$ and $Coles Group Ltd (COL.AU)$ both falling after the publication of earnings reports. Commodity-related stocks pared the overall losses, with shares of energy producers, iron-ore miners and lithium companies all rising.