$S&P/ASX 200 (.XJO.AU)$closed 1.0% lower at 7625.9, the latest in a series of wild swings as investors mull the outlook for global interest rates. Ten of 11 sectors finished in the red as the benchmark index ignored a positive lead by U.S. equities, pulling back from a record close on the eve of the Reserve Bank's first rate decision of 2024.
The ASX 200 has moved in a different direction in each of the past four days, each time by at least 1%. The materials sector led the declines, shedding 2.7% for its largest fall since September.