** Australian gold stocks .AXGD fall as much as 1.7% in
their biggest intraday pct drop since Oct. 31
** Sub-index down after two straight sessions of gains
** Gold prices eased on Monday as U.S. Treasury yields rose,
with investors remaining cautious as they gear up for a host of
Federal Reserve speakers this week including Jerome Powell
GOL/
** Shares of Northern Star Resources NST.AX fall as much
as 1.6%
** Bellevue Gold BGL.AX shares slide up to 5.6% to become
top loser in the sub-index
** AXGD up 16.3% YTD, as of last close, vs a 0.6% fall in
the benchmark index .AXJO
(Reporting by John Biju in Bengaluru)
((John.Biju@thomsonreuters.com;))