Aussie share market records first weekly decline in March

SYDNEY, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The Australian share finished lower for three consecutive days on Friday and recorded its first weekly decline in March. At the market close the benchmark ASX 200 index was down 37.70 points or 0.56 percent at 6,708.20, while the broader All Ordinaries index was down 40.50 points or 0.58 percent at 6,963.10. The ASX 200 index fell 0.87 percent over the week as energy stocks slumped and iron ore miners extended losses. "The index bounced off this morning's lows during the afternoon session, but energy weighed down the benchmark following a 7.10 percent decline in oil prices," CommSec finance writer Daniel O'Leary said. "Mining, energy and industrials fell most today on what were rather broad declines." Utilities, real estate and telecommunication are the only sectors advanced. In the financial space, the big banks were mixed with Commonwealth Bank down (1.21 percent), National Australia Bank down (0.31 percent), Westpac Bank up (0.33 percent) and ANZ up (0.32 percent). Mining stocks slumped with BHP down (1.73 percent), Rio Tinto down (1.57 percent), Fortescue Metals down (1.43 percent), and gold miner Newcrest down (3.43 percent). The country's oil and gas producers plummeted with Oil Search down (2.09 percent), Santos down (2.46 percent) and Woodside Petroleum down (3.25 percent). Australia's largest supermarkets varied with Coles down (0.51 percent), and Woolworths up (0.39 percent). Meanwhile telecommunications giant Telstra lifted (0.63 percent), the national carrier Qantas slumped (1.11 percent) and biomedical firm CSL slumped (0.84 percent).