The Economic Times

S&P/ASX 200 closes down as Gold stocks lead sell-off in Australian shares ahead of central bank meeting on interest rate; check top gainers, losers and top performing sectors

Australian shares saw their biggest drop in two months on Monday, February 2, 2026. Investors grew cautious as the central bank is expected to raise interest rates this week. Precious and base metal miners led the decline. The S&P/ASX 200 index closed lower. Gold miners experienced their worst day since late October, 2025.