The ASX 200 broke its winning spree of the last few days and lost 0.31% on Thursday. It closed at 7,214.9, down by 22 points, ahead of the long weekend.
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The index, however, ended the week in the green zone after gaining more than 1% in the last five days.
Among the sectors, healthcare and utilities topped the list and gained 1.49% and 1.23%, respectively.
The Australian dollar lost 0.3% against the U.S. dollar to $0.67.
Overall, Asian markets saw lower trading volumes this week, with Chinese markets on extended holidays and many markets closed for Good Friday and Easter.
The highlight of the day was the RBA’s (Reserve Bank of Australia) half-yearly financial stability review, which assesses the current financial landscape of the country. The global banking failures and rising interest rates have put more focus on this review.
According to this review, Australian banks are not immune to global volatility in the financial markets but are also well-regulated and capitalized to face the challenges.
The review also considered different scenarios for how higher or similar interest rates will impact households.
Top Movers
Imugene Limited (AU:IMU), a biotech company focused on immuno-oncology, gained more than 7% today. Yesterday, the company reported the dosage given to the first patients in its dose-escalation trial for VAXINIA.
Silver Lake Resources Ltd. (AU:SLR) was up 4.08%, and Bega Cheese Limited (AU:BGA) added 3.3%.
Among the losers, Nickel Industries Ltd. (AU:NIC) was down 5.59%, and Inghams Group Ltd. (AU:ING) lost 5.56%.
