ASX 200 extends falls; Optus facing more legal hits; Telix tanks

ASX 200 shares close lower with utilities and communications the only sectors in the green. Aussie dollar falls below US64c. Optus faces new data breach legal threat. August retail sales softer. ASX Ltd gets first strike against exec pay. 

The impact of rising rates on consumer sentiment is in focus today with the release of local retail data for August. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Welcome to the Trading Day blog for Wednesday, September 28. ASX 200 shares close down with all sectors except communications and utilities in the red. More legal actions against Optus over hacking. Retail sales subdued in August. 

The ASX 200 index closes 0.5 per cent lower at 6462, reversing an intraday low of 6433.10 at 1.32pm when it was on track to close at the lowest level since 6418.22 on November 12.

On Wall Street, fears about the global growth outlook led to the Dow Jones index closing 0.4 per cent weaker after paring earlier losses and the S&P 500 slid 0.2 per cent to its lowest close in two years. However, the tech-focused Nasdaq index ended 0.3 per cent higher.

US 10-year yields rose to near 3.95 per cent, but US 2-year yields eased near 15-year highs at 4.29 per cent.

Australian 3-year bond yields rose to 3.7 per cent and the 10-year yield was up to 4.08 per cent in morning trade.

Oil prices are higher with the global benchmark Brent crude price rising 2.6 per cent to $US86.27 per barrel and the US Nymex crude up 2.3 per cent to $US78.50 per barrel.

Iron ore futures fell by 0.3 per cent to $US98.71 per tonne.

The Aussie dollar is trading near US63.94c.