S&P/ASX 200 slips as investors fear a COVID-19 resurgence
Brent crude gained 0.6% to US$69.00 a barrel on Tuesday after slumping around 7% in the previous session.
Dow Jones index in the US tumbled 700 points on Monday for its worst drop since October.
S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) has slipped for a second day, with the index easing by 0.12% to 7,277 points by about 1.15 pm.
This follows a significant 1.6% tumble for the S&P500 overnight on Wall Street as the spread of the COVID-19 Delta strain and lockdown uncertainty continues to keep markets on edge.
Oil price tumbles
Locally, energy stocks were the hardest hit following ~7.5% in oil prices overnight as COVID-19 infections surged and OPEC+ agreed to gradually ramp up oil production through to September 2022.