S&P/ASX 200 falls ahead of rate decision meeting as Middle East hostilities keep investors cautious; check top gainers and losers

The S&P/ASX 200 closed lower as Australian shares fell on Monday (March 16, 2026) with weaker commodity prices weighing on miners as investors turned cautious ahead of an ‌expected central bank ⁠rate ⁠hike later in the week and ongoing The broader index dropped 33.70 points or 0.39% to 8,583.40 on Monday, according to the ASX website. The bottom-performing stocks in this index were IPERIONX LIMITED and DEEP YELLOW LIMITED, down 22.24% and 11.25%, respectively. Over the last five days, the index is virtual ...