Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Energy, Financials and Healthcare sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.00% to hit a new 1-month low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Crown Ltd (AX:CWN), which rose 13.19% or 1.485 points to trade at 12.745 at the close. Meanwhile, Evolution Mining Ltd (AX:EVN) added 5.39% or 0.125 points to end at 2.445 and Northern Star Resources Ltd (AX:NST) was up 4.96% or 0.240 points to 5.080 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Mesoblast Ltd (AX:MSB), which fell 7.63% or 0.095 points to trade at 1.150 at the close. Worleyparsons Ltd (AX:WOR) declined 6.00% or 0.450 points to end at 7.050 and Mineral Resources Ltd (AX:MIN) was down 5.96% or 0.530 points to 8.370.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 532 to 477 and 345 ended unchanged.
Shares in Evolution Mining Ltd (AX:EVN) rose to 3-years highs; rising 5.39% or 0.125 to 2.445. Shares in Northern Star Resources Ltd (AX:NST) rose to all time highs; up 4.96% or 0.240 to 5.080.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 2.79% to 19.932.
Gold for August delivery was up 1.41% or 18.15 to $1306.45 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 0.96% or 0.46 to hit $47.55 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.86% or 0.42 to trade at $48.55 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.24% to 0.7391, while AUD/JPY fell 1.95% to 77.00.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.27% at 94.41.