Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the IT, Metals & Mining and Resources sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.66% to hit a new 6-months low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Primary Health Care Ltd (ASX:PRY), which rose 4.27% or 0.190 points to trade at 4.640 at the close. Meanwhile, JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX:JBH) added 4.23% or 0.850 points to end at 20.960 and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX:NST) was up 3.54% or 0.070 points to 2.050 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Computershare Ltd. (ASX:CPU), which fell 9.32% or 1.090 points to trade at 10.610 at the close. Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (ASX:LNG) declined 8.79% or 0.270 points to end at 2.800 and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) was down 7.97% or 0.155 points to 1.790.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 622 to 340 and 174 ended unchanged.
Shares in Computershare Ltd. (ASX:CPU) fell to 52-week lows; falling 9.32% or 1.090 to 10.610.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 7.11% to 19.520.
Gold for December delivery was up 0.59% or 6.50 to $1114.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September fell 0.52% or 0.23 to hit $42.85 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract fell 0.59% or 0.29 to trade at $49.41 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.58% to 0.7262, while AUD/JPY fell 0.82% to 90.63.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.24% at 97.00.