AU Evening Wrap: Australia Shares Lose 0.7%; BHP Falls 2.4%, WOW Down 6.6%

$S&P/ASX 200 (.XJO.AU)$ closed 0.7% lower at 7608.4 amid weakness in shares of its two largest companies and its biggest supermarket chain.

The materials sector lost 1.4%, with $Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO.AU)$ and $Fortescue Ltd (FMG.AU)$ finishing 1.75% and 3.4% lower, respectively.

$BHP Group Ltd (BHP.AU)$ shed 2.35% as analysts cut forecasts following the prior session's announcement of a larger-than-expected fall in the iron-ore giant's H1 profit.

$CommBank (CBA.AU)$ traded ex-dividend and lost 2.0%.

Consumer staples was the worst performing of the ASX 200's 11 sectors, shedding 4.3% as supermarket giant $Woolworths Group Ltd (WOW.AU)$ lost 6.6% after posting an impairment-driven H1 loss and the retirement of its CEO.

Logistics-software provider $WiseTech Global Ltd (WTC.AU)$ surged 11% on a stronger-than-expected 1H performance.