ASX 200 closed down another 54 points to 6773 (0.8%). A brief rally after the retail sales fizzled out as banks sold off, CBA fell 1.6% and the Big Bank Basket slid to $169.11 (-1.5%). Insurers also under pressure with QBE off 0.7% and SUN falling 1.0%. REITs lower with GMG escaping the sell-off up 1.4%. Healthcare mixed, CSL down again off 1.5% but RMD finding support from brokers up 1.2%. Industrials fell, WOW off 1.5%, WES down 0.3% and TLS down 0.3%. Retail stocks slipped despite better-than-expected retail sales numbers, LOV down 1.9%, SUL off 0.7% and HVN falling 1.3%. QAN rose 0.8% after firing back on charges for ghost flights. Resources were mixed, iron ore stocks tried to hold the line, RIO up 0.5%. Lithium stocks once again under pressure in the producers but some action in the speculative space, PLS fell 2.8% and AZS unchanged despite Hancock taking a 18% stake. LTR fell 3% again. Gold miners were better on bullion pricing, NEM up 3.1% and NST rallying 0.4%. Oil and gas stocks slid as Asina trade saw crude down around 1%. WDS off 2.5% and STO down 2.0%. In corporate news, IGO fell 9.0% after warning of volatile lithium prices, WHC fell 5.6% as a hedge fund sold down, CXL dropped 11.7% on a licence deal with Heirloom, and TIE rose 33.0% on a bid from a Chinese group. On the economic front, Retail Sales rose 0.9% better than expected. Asian markets were mixed with 10-year yields back up to 4.88%.

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