ASX 200 marginally declines amid rate hike expectations and sector-specific movements.

Key points

• The ASX 200 Index edged down by 0.1% to 8,727.60 points, reflecting cautious investor sentiment amid rate hike speculations.
• Major banks, including ANZ and NAB, saw gains of approximately 0.8%, aligning with expectations of an RBA rate increase.
• The mining sector faced declines, with Rio Tinto down 1% and Newmont down 1.7%, despite higher iron ore and copper prices.
• Healthcare stocks showed mixed results; Cochlear rose 3.4% post-dividend, while Telix Pharmaceuticals fell nearly 6% following a $2.3 billion acquisition announcement.