Australian stocks closed lower on Monday, adding to a string of losses notched up last week.

Sentiment remains weak in relation to concerns about Chinese economic growth and quantitative easing in the US, with no good news to offset it on Monday.

Those factors combined with a fall on Japan’s Nikkei index had resulted in a risk averse sentiment around the region, CMC Markets senior trader Tim Waterer said.

“It seems traders are a little unnerved at the moment by some events abroad and are taking some funds off the table,” he told AAP.

The falls were broad-based with defensive high yielding telecommunications companies the only sector to finish higher.

Retailers were among the hardest hit after David Jones posted a decline in third quarter sales.

The retailer’s third quarter sales fell by 2.2 per cent from the same period last year to $399.8 million, amid what it said was weak consumer sentiment and unseasonably warm weather.

David Jones shares were down two cents to $2.56.

The big miners suffered solid losses, with BHP Billiton more than one per cent, or 35 cents, down to $34.01 and Rio Tinto $1.40, or 2.57 per cent, worse at $53.11.

Among the supermarket groups, Woolworths shares were 35 cents lower at $33.11 while Wesfarmers was 12 cents off at $40.88.

Financial stocks were mostly weaker, with Westpac down 10 cents to $29.22, Commonwealth Bank fell 58 cents to $68.19 and National Australia Bank lost five cents to $31.24.

ANZ was an exception, up 17 cents to $27.85.

Telstra shares gained three cents to $4.90.

KEY FACTS

* At the close on Monday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 23.6 points, or 0.47 per cent, at 4,959.9 points.

* The broader All Ordinaries index was 25.7 points, or 0.52 per cent, weaker at 4,938.6.

* On the ASX 24, the June share price index futures contract was 22 points weaker at 4,951 points with 31,207 contracts traded.

* National turnover was 1.4 billion securities worth $3.8 billion.