Investing.com - Australian shares dipped 0.3% on Thursday as modest advances for banks and utilities were overshadowed by a 2.9% drop in the tech sector, following a similar trend in international markets.
The sell-off in tech stocks accelerated after new data revealed the Australian economy added 50,200 jobs in June, pushing the unemployment rate up to 4.1%.
Overseas, semiconductor stocks experienced a significant drop amid profit-taking after a stellar performance and concerns over deteriorating US-China economic relations. The Nasdaq fell 2.8% in its worst day since December 2022, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 shed 2.5%.
Locally, shares in Domino's Pizza (ASX:DMP) fell 9% after the company announced plans to close stores in France and Japan, downgrading its guidance for group store growth in the coming years.
Accent Group Ltd (ASX:AX1) reported plans to close 18 Glue stores due to the youth fashion brand's weak performance, leading their stock to jump 9.2%.
The iron ore price also slipped 2.2%, leading to slight decreases for both BHP Group Ltd (ASX:BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO).
In the biotech sector, Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:TLX) raised its sales guidance for financial 2024, causing its shares to increase by 0.2%.
On the bond markets, 10-year and 2-year rates were at 4.279% and 4.151%, respectively.