Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Financials, Materials and Gold sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 2.41%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (ASX:LNG), which rose 14.80% or 0.370 points to trade at 2.870 at the close. Meanwhile, Myer Holdings Ltd (ASX:MYR) added 3.45% or 0.045 points to end at 1.350 and Slater & Gordon Ltd (ASX:SGH) was up 3.15% or 0.100 points to 3.270 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Orica Ltd (ASX:ORI), which fell 16.94% or 3.190 points to trade at 15.640 at the close. ANZ Banking Group (ASX:ANZ) declined 7.49% or 2.440 points to end at 30.140 and Incitec Pivot Ltd (ASX:IPL) was down 6.41% or 0.230 points to 3.360.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 637 to 328 and 190 ended unchanged.
Shares in Orica Ltd (ASX:ORI) fell to 5-year lows; losing 16.94% or 3.190 to 15.640. Shares in ANZ Banking Group (ASX:ANZ) fell to 52-week lows; losing 7.49% or 2.440 to 30.140.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 9.24% to 17.965.
Gold for December delivery was up 0.52% or 5.70 to $1095.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 0.32% or 0.14 to hit $44.80 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract rose 0.41% or 0.20 to trade at $49.73 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.41% to 0.7375, while AUD/JPY rose 0.45% to 92.03.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.09% at 97.97.