Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Monday, as losses in the Energy, Resources and Metals & Mining sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 4.09% to hit a new 52-week low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Bluescope Steel Ltd (ASX:BSL), which rose 8.58% or 0.290 points to trade at 3.670 at the close. Meanwhile, Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:SIP) added 4.67% or 0.035 points to end at 0.785 and Spark New Zealand Ltd (ASX:SPK) was up 1.47% or 0.040 points to 2.770 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG), which fell 14.62% or 0.280 points to trade at 1.635 at the close. Senex Energy Ltd (ASX:SXY) declined 13.79% or 0.020 points to end at 0.125 and Santos Ltd (ASX:STO) was down 11.25% or 0.630 points to 4.970.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 992 to 121 and 148 ended unchanged.
Shares in Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) fell to 5-year lows; falling 14.62% or 0.280 to 1.635. Shares in Senex Energy Ltd (ASX:SXY) fell to 3-years lows; losing 13.79% or 0.020 to 0.125. Shares in Santos Ltd (ASX:STO) fell to 5-year lows; down 11.25% or 0.630 to 4.970.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 0.84% to 21.138 a new 1-month high.
Gold for December delivery was down 0.44% or 5.10 to $1154.50 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in October fell 3.40% or 1.38 to hit $39.08 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract fell 2.54% or 1.16 to trade at $44.30 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 1.04% to 0.7236, while AUD/JPY fell 1.90% to 87.55.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.45% at 94.41.