The Australian share market has fallen to a fresh four month low as international investors sell risk assets amid uncertainty.

OptionsXPress analyst Ben Le Brun said the local market had died in afternoon trade, falling to its lowest levels since late January amid heavy volumes.

“It looks as if a lot of the selling we’re seeing today is international sellers targeting the Aussie share market,” Mr Le Brun said.

“There’s bond market volatility that has created an element of uncertainty right across risk assets and that seems to be reverberating in a negative sense across our high yielding names.

“Add some soft performances from commodities last night and all sectors of our market are in negative territory.”

The falls came after the release of local retail spending figures showing April was flat from March, the weakest reading since February 2014.

Among the major banks, Commonwealth Bank was down $1.03 cents to $80.54, ANZ had lost 42 cents to $31.50, Westpac was 48 cents weaker at $31.40 and National Australia Bank had shed 68 cents to $32.32.

BHP Billiton dropped 44 cents at $28.09, Rio Tinto had fell 76 cents to $56.74 and Fortescue Metals was 15 cents weaker at $2.28.

Grocery retailer Metcash plunged 24.5 cents, or 17.7 per cent, to a 14-year low of $1.14 after announcing $640 million in writedowns and impairments, and an end to dividends.

Logistics firm Qube was lost 21 cents, or 7.6 per cent, to $2.56 after warning it was facing tough trading conditions.

KEY FACTS

* At the close on Thursday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was 79.3 points, or 1.42 per cent, lower at 5,504.3.

* The broader All Ordinaries index was down 77.0 points, or 1.38 per cent, at 5,511.3, according to preliminary figures.

* The June share price index futures contract was 86 points lower at 5,502, with 37,805 contracts traded.

* National turnover was 2.14 billion securities worth $6.3 billion.