Australian Shares Fall Amid Global Economic Concerns and Interest Rate Outlook

Australian shares ended the week slightly lower due to ongoing economic concerns and an increasingly stringent global interest rate environment.

The S&P/ASX200 index fell by 1.2 points, or 0.01 percent, settling at 8731.2, while the broader All Ordinaries index gained 12 points, or 0.13 percent, finishing at 8922.9.

Despite last week's fluctuations, the top-200 index saw a decline of 0.11 percent since the beginning of the week, marking its fifth weekly dip out of the last six, and raising concerns among investors.

AMP Deputy Chief Economist Diana Mousina noted that local shares are down 4 percent over the month and have shown no growth since the year began, attributing this to the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) more aggressive policies in comparison to the Federal Reserve, coupled with a crumbling economic landscape.