AU Evening Wrap: ASX Falls 0.5%; Ardent Leisure Soars 13.5%

The benchmark $S&P/ASX 200 (.XJO.AU)$ index was down 0.5 per cent, or 38.3 points to 7004 at market close, its lowest since late March. It was weighed down by losses in 10 out of the 11 industry sectors.

Mining stocks were among the worst performers, down 0.7 per cent. It comes as iron ore futures traded lower on the Singapore exchange, down 1.9 per cent to $US107.5 a tonne on the July contract. $BHP Group Ltd (BHP.AU)$ shares dropped 1.1 per cent, $Fortescue Ltd (FMG.AU)$ lost 2 per cent and $Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO.AU)$ fell 1.1 per cent.

Consumer staples stocks also fell in the red. $Woolworths Group Ltd (WOW.AU)$ declined 1.1 per cent, $Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (TWE.AU)$ fell 1.7 per cent, $The a2 Milk Co Ltd (A2M.AU)$ shed 2.4 per cent and $Endeavour Group Ltd (EDV.AU)$ dropped 1 per cent.

$Ardent Leisure Group Ltd (ALG.AU)$ shares soared 13.5 per cent after a positive preliminary financial year 2023 update.

$GQG Partners Inc (GQG.AU)$ rallied 3.1 per cent following a boost to its funds under management for the month of June.