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The Australian stock market is maintaining its early losses in mid-market trading on Tuesday, extending the losses in the previous session, following the broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight. The benchmark S&P\/ASX 200 index is falling to near the 9,050 mark, with weakness in technology<\/span> and financial stocks partially offset by gains in gold miners and energy stocks.<\/p>\n The benchmark S&P\/ASX 200 Index is losing 30.60 points or 0.34 percent to 9,045.40, after hitting a low of 9,023.80 earlier. The broader All Ordinaries Index is down 35.60 points or 0.38 percent to 9,235.80. Australian stocks closed modestly lower on Monday.<\/p>\n Among the major miners, Rio Tinto, Fortescue and BHP Group are edging up 0.2 percent each, while Mineral Resources is edging down 0.3 percent.<\/p>\n Oil stocks are mostly higher. Beach energy, Origin Energy, Santos and Woodside Energy are gaining almost 1 percent each.<\/p>\n Among tech stocks, Afterpay owner Block is losing almost 2 percent and Xero is edging down 0.2 percent, while WiseTech Global, Appen and Zip are down more than 1 percent each.<\/p>\n Gold miners are mostly higher. Evolution Mining is edging up 0.2 percent, Genesis Minerals is advancing almost 2 percent, Resolute Mining is advancing more than 4 percent and Northern Star Resources is gaining almost 1 percent, while Newmont is losing almost 1 percent.<\/p>\n Among the big four banks, ANZ Banking is edging up 0.2 percent, while National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac are edging down 0.1 to 0.4 percent each.<\/p>\n In economic news, the manufacturing sector in Australia continued to expand at a steady pace, the latest survey from S&P Global revealed on Tuesday with a manufacturing PMI score of 52.0, the highest level since January. That was unchanged from the July reading and it remains above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Australia posted a current account deficit of A$27.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026, the Australian Bureau of Statistics or ABS said on Tuesday. That beat forecasts for a shortfall of A$29.7 billion following the upwardly revised A$25.4 billion deficit in the three months prior (originally a deficit of A$27.1 billion).<\/p>\n The capital and financial account surplus was A$5.3 billion, a decrease of A$11.3 billion on the Q1 surplus. Australia’s net international investment liability position was A$638.9 billion in Q2, a decrease of A$122.8 billion on the revised Q1 position of A$761.7 billion.<\/p>\n The ABS also said the total number of building permits issued in Australia was down a seasonally adjusted 3.6 percent on month in July, coming in at 17,687. That beat expectations for a decline of 4.8 percent following the 7.2 percent gain in June. The value of total building work approved rose 3.3 percent to A$21.19 billion, after a 1.5 percent June fall. On a yearly basis, approvals rose 9.0 percent – slowing from 28.8 percent in the previous month. <\/p>\n In the currency market, the Aussie dollar is trading at $0.717 on Tuesday. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Market Analysis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n