MW:Australian stocks drop as oil firms, miners fall
By Sarah Turner
SYDNEY (MarketWatch) -- Australian shares fell early on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 index AU:XJO -1.16% down 1.5% at 3,979.40. Mining giant BHP Billiton Ltd. AU:BHP -2.17% BHP -4.32% fell 2.5% while rival Rio Tinto Ltd. AU:RIO -3.56% RIO -4.59% falling 2.2%. Oil companies were also lower, with Woodside Petroleum Ltd. AU:WPL -0.50% WOPEF -0.16% declining 1.6% after a big drop in crude oil prices in New York on Wednesday.
