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Feb 27 (Reuters) - Australian shares closed lower for the fourth straight session on Thursday as sentiment remained fragile following the rapid spread of the coronavirus, with the country kicking off emergency measures to contain the outbreak.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO slipped 0.8%, or 50.20 points, to 6,657.90 at the close of trade. The benchmark has tumbled 6.7% this week through Thursday's close, wiping out about A$152 billion ($100.26 billion) in companies' market value.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday became one of the world's first leaders to acknowledge the threat of the virus spreading beyond global containment efforts.
"We believe the risk of a global pandemic is very much upon us," Morrison told a news conference in Canberra.
Australia has reported 23 cases of coronavirus, although 15 - all of whom arrived from China - have now been discharged from hospital. impact on local businesses has also been extensive with the epidemic prompting firms to cut over $500 million from profit forecasts in the current financial year, according to a Reuters analysis. heavyweight financial stocks .AXFJ weighed on the benchmark on Thursday, extending a four-day losing streak that also marked the lowest close since early January.
Shares of the "Big Four" banks declined between 1.4% and 2.1%, with Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ANZ.AX falling the most.
Energy stocks .AXEJ declined 2%, as oil prices plunged to their lowest since January 2019. Shares of Worley Ltd WOR.AX dropped 2.8%, while those of Oil Search OSH.AX fell 2.9%.
Healthcare stocks .AXHJ were a bright spot. Benchmark heavyweight CSL Ltd CSL.AX gained 2.2%, snapping a five-day losing streak.
Gold stocks .AXGD rose 1.9% as virus fears boosted demand for the precious metal, with the country's biggest independent gold miner, Newcrest Mining NCM.AX , gaining 1.3%.
Shares of Northern Star Resources NST.AX rose 3%.
Separately, shares of Afterpay Ltd APT.AX closed 1.4% up after a choppy session. The buy-now-pay-later firm reported a bigger-than-expected half-yearly loss, but recorded a five-fold jump in U.S. underlying sales. Malaysia licence win helped earths explorer Lynas Corp LYC.AX snap three sessions of losses and climb 5%. the Tasman Sea, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 fell 0.8%, or 96.69 points, to finish the session at 11,437.17.
Shares of Fletcher Building FBU.NZ shed 2.6%, while those of Air New Zealand AIR.NZ slipped 1.3%.
($1 = 1.5161 Australian dollars)