Australian Markets Closed Lower Today After a Positive Start

• Australian markets closed on a sharply negative after a positive start, extending last week's negative run. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index lost 41.6 points, or 0.8 per cent, to 5144.4, while the broader All Ordinaries fell 37.6 points, or 0.7 per cent, to 5148.4.

• Among the sectors, financials plunged 1.4 per cent, led down by QBE which lost about one-fifth of its value after a profit warning. Materials slipped 0.2 per cent, while telcos rose 0.8 per cent.

  

• Today's stocks in focus:

• QBE lost more than one-fifth of its market value, plunging 21.7 per cent to $12.10 after forecasting a shock annual loss.

• Qantas closed below $1 for the first time in 17 months, falling another 3.4 per cent to 99.5 cents.

• Today's gainers and losers at ASX 200 are given below:

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