Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Energy, Resources and Gold sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.10%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Echo Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX:EGP), which rose 2.37% or 0.110 points to trade at 4.750 at the close. Meanwhile, Trade Me Group Ltd (ASX:TME) added 1.97% or 0.060 points to end at 3.100 and Asciano Ltd (ASX:AIO) was up 1.91% or 0.150 points to 8.000 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX:MIN), which fell 8.12% or 0.560 points to trade at 6.340 at the close. Greencross Ltd (ASX:GXL) declined 5.70% or 0.340 points to end at 5.620 and Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX:WHC) was down 5.47% or 0.070 points to 1.210.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 553 to 388 and 176 ended unchanged.
Shares in Greencross Ltd (ASX:GXL) fell to 52-week lows; losing 5.70% or 0.340 to 5.620. Shares in Asciano Ltd (ASX:AIO) rose to 5-year highs; up 1.91% or 0.150 to 8.000.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 10.24% to 19.235.
Gold for August delivery was up 0.30% or 3.50 to $1167.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August fell 0.48% or 0.28 to hit $56.66 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.30% or 0.18 to trade at $61.88 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.62% to 0.7584, while AUD/JPY fell 0.63% to 93.35.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.07% at 96.22.