Aust shares fall for start of key period

The Australian share market has fallen as investors wait on a series of key central bank meetings and economic data releases.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed Monday down 32.4 points, or 0.45 per cent, to 7180.8, while the broader All Ordinaries dropped 35.7 points, or 0.48 per cent, to 7370.6.

IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said traders were "preparing for stormy weather" by battening down the hatches ahead of the huge week that lay ahead.

The central banks of the United States, European Union and United Kingdom will all issue policy decisions on interest rates, while the US will also release monthly consumer inflation data midweek.

Closer to home, domestic labour force and consumer confidence data will provide important updates on the state of the Australian economy and the outlook for inflation as the holiday season approaches.

Seven of the ASX's 11 official sectors were lower on Monday.

The biggest losses were in the utilities sector, which fell 4.3 per cent after Origin Energy tumbled 7.8 per cent to a one-month low of $7.19 on the Albanese government's plans for price caps on coal and gas.

In the energy sector, Whitehaven Coal fell 2.0 per cent, fellow coalminer New Hope dropped 1.4 per cent and gas producer Cooper Energy fell 7.7 per cent to a six-year low of 18c.

Woodside gained 2.7 per cent to $35.10 and Santos added 0.7 per cent to $7.11, lifting the sector 1.2 per cent overall.

The heavyweight mining sector was down 1.5 per cent after BHP fell 1.5 per cent to $46.79, Fortescue dropped 1.3 per cent to $21.12 and Rio Tinto shed 0.7 per cent to $116.35.

Rio's decline came despite shareholders of Canada-headquartered Turquoise Hill Resources backing a $3 billion takeover offer from the Anglo-Australian miner.

Goldminers Newcrest, Northern Star and Evolution all fell a bit more than three per cent as a rally in the precious metal fizzled out below $US1,800 an ounce.

St Barbara and Genesis Minerals were in a trading halt after the two WA goldminers agreed to an all-scrip merger scheduled to complete in May.

The new company will be named Hoover House, a nod to former US president Herbert Hoover, who as a young man served as manager of St Barbara's historic Gwalia mine in WA.

St Barbara's overseas goldmines, in Canada and Papua New Guinea, are intended to be spun off into a new ASX-listed company, to be called Phoenician Metals.  

In the financial sector, the big retail banks were generally lower. ANZ was down 0.4 per cent to $23.54, Westpac dropped 0.3 per cent to $23.36 and NAB was flat at $30.19. 

CBA gained 0.4 per cent to $105.39, while Macquarie added 2.1 per cent to $171.50.

Tyro Payments plunged 19.5 per cent to a three-month low of $1.20 after Westpac walked away from acquiring the EFTPOS machine provider.

Tyro also decided to cease discussions with another possible suitor, Potential Capital Management.

The Australian dollar was buying 67.72 US cents, down from 67.82 US cents at Friday's close.

ON THE ASX:

* The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Monday dropped 32.4 points, or 0.45 per cent, to 7180.8.

* The broader All Ordinaries retreated 35.7 points, or 0.48 per cent, to 7370.6.

CURRENCY SNAPSHOT:

One Australian dollar buys:

* 67.70 US cents, from 67.82 US cents at Friday's ASX close

* 92.78 Japanese yen, from 92.33 Japanese yen

* 64.38 Euro cents, from 64.11 Euro cents

* 55.39 British pence, from 55.31 British pence

* 105.97 NZ cents, from 106.01 NZ cents.