“The jobs data for September (October 20th) and Q3 inflation data (October 25th) will decide whether the RBA hikes rates in November or keeps the cash rate on hold into year-end.”

While the August consumer price indicator rose 5.2 per Cent from the year-earlier month, accelerating from July’s 4.9 per cent pace, the figure was in line with market consensus.

The Aussie briefly dipped below US64¢ to US63.9¢ and bond yields slipped with the 10-year at 4.38 per cent.

Amid the prospect of a higher-for-longer cash rate in Australia, the interest rate-sensitive tech sector was the worst performing, extending the day-earlier decline.

Family tracking device Life360 shed 1.7 per cent to $8.68 a share, WiseTech dropped 1.6 per cent to $65.72 and accounting software Xero lost 1.3 per cent to $112.50.

A 1 per cent drop by Woodside Energy to $35.67 dragged the energy sector lower. It comes even as oil edged higher with West Texas Intermediate hitting $US91 a barrel.

Ampol shares rose 0.5 per cent to $33.64 and Viva Energy rallied 1.7 per cent to $2.97. Viva announced that it was going to rebrand all the Coles Express petrol stations across the country as Reddy Express after it bought out the convenience retail business from the giant supermarket chain in September last year.

In company news, Star Entertainment shares plunged 15.3 per cent to 63.5¢. It was the biggest laggard on the S&P/ASX200 after the embattled casino operator raised $565 million from institutional investors after offering new shares at 60¢ apiece.

Endeavour edged up 0.4 per cent to $5.32 after the board of the pubs and liquor retailer’s board recommended its shareholders vote against the election of former Myer chairman Bill Wavish as an independent non-executive director.

The Australian Financial Review earlier revealed that Wavish was attempting a boardroom run at Endeavour with the support of the hotel and liquor chain group’s biggest shareholder, Bruce Mathieson.

Shares in Tamboran Resources rallied 11.5 per cent to 14.5¢ after the Beetaloo Basin gas explorer booked its first estimate of resources, lifting optimism about the potential for commercial production.

Tamboran, which is facing strong environmental opposition to its drilling in the region, booked 406 billion cubic feet of contingent gas resources in the permit after reviewing drilling results from its Maverick well.

Sleep device maker ResMed rallied 4.8 per cent to $22.99 and was among the best performers following a Goldman Sachs report that it expected a smaller impact of weight loss drugs on the obstructive sleep apnoea market.

ResMed was an exception when compared with other large cap health stocks. Blood plasma collector CSL lost 1.4 per cent to $252.04 and Cochlear dropped 1 per cent to $256.110.

The major banks all gained. Westpac shares rose 0.7 per cent to $21.19, Commonwealth Bank climbed 0.5 per cent to $100.53, ANZ advanced 0.4 per cent to $25.20 and National Australia Bank firmed 0.6 per cent to $29.04.