S&P/ASX 200 closes lower as Australian shares end week flat, investors remain cautious on Middle East war; check top gainers and losers

Market Overview - The S&P/ASX 200 index closed lower on March 27, 2026, dropping 9.40 points or 0.11% to 8,516.30, despite snapping a three-week losing streak with a weekly gain of about 1.2% [1][2] - The index gained 1.04% over the last five days but is down 2.27% year to date [1] Economic Factors - Softer-than-expected inflation data and optimism around a potential ceasefire contributed to the index's recovery [2] - The Reserve Bank of Australia raised interest rates to 4.1% for the second consecutive meeting, influenced by rising energy costs and global uncertainty [2] Sector Performance - Miners remained under pressure from weaker commodity prices, with gold stocks down 1.5%, marking a loss of over 28% in March, the worst month since June 2013 [3] - Financials slipped 0.2%, marking a fifth consecutive week of declines, with three of the big four banks losing between 0.2% and 1.5% [3] - Energy stocks rose 0.9%, supported by higher oil prices, and are set for a seventh consecutive weekly gain, a streak last seen in April-May 2018 [5] Top Gainers and Losers - Top gainers on the S&P/ASX 200 included: - Treasury Wine Estates Limited (TWE), up 0.250 (7.418%) to 3.620 [6] - Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (TLX), up 0.730 (5.650%) to 13.650 [6] - Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited (SOL), up 1.920 (5.007%) to 40.260 [6] - Whitehaven Coal Limited (WHC), up 0.430 (4.886%) to 9.230 [6] - Nickel Industries Limited (NIC), up 0.035 (4.046%) to 0.900 [6] - Decliners included: - DroneShield Limited (DRO), down 0.600 (-13.393%) to 3.880 [7] - NextDC Limited (NXT), down 0.980 (-7.891%) to 11.440 [7] - Predictive Discovery Limited (PDI), down 0.045 (-6.082%) to 0.695 [7] - Codan Limited (CDA), down 2.040 (-5.929%) to 32.370 [7] - SiteMinder Limited (SDR), down 0.140 (-4.762%) to 2.800 [7]