AU Evening Wrap: Australia Shares Slip 0.1% on Large-Cap Weakness

Australia's $S&P/ASX 200 (.XJO.AU)$ closed 0.1% lower at 7695.8, giving back early gains amid weakness in large-cap stocks. Shares of six of the seven largest companies finished in the red, a day after the country's central bank held interest rates steady and appeared to indicate a more neutral policy stance.

All five of the country's largest banks finished lower. $National Australia Bank Ltd (NAB.AU)$ $CommBank (CBA.AU)$, $Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AU)$, $Macquarie Group Ltd (MQG.AU)$ and $ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ANZ.AU)$ dropped between 0.1% and 0.4%.

Vaccine maker $CSL Ltd (CSL.AU)$ was the other large-cap loser, inching 0.1% lower.

Iron-ore miners $BHP Group Ltd (BHP.AU)$, $Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO.AU)$ and $Fortescue Ltd (FMG.AU)$ put on between 0.5% and 0.9%, but the materials sector still fell 0.2% on weakness in lithium and gold miners.