Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Gold, Metals & Mining and Materials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.06%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were oOh!Media Ltd (AX:OML), which rose 6.71% or 0.280 points to trade at 4.450 at the close. Meanwhile, Mineral Resources Ltd (AX:MIN) added 5.35% or 0.760 points to end at 14.960 and Brickworks Ltd (AX:BKW) was up 4.96% or 0.770 points to 16.300 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (AX:SAR), which fell 7.03% or 0.180 points to trade at 2.380 at the close. Ausdrill Ltd (AX:ASL) declined 5.30% or 0.075 points to end at 1.340 and Seven West Media Ltd (AX:SWM) was down 4.83% or 0.035 points to 0.690.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 615 to 526 and 362 ended unchanged.
Shares in Ausdrill Ltd (AX:ASL) fell to 52-week lows; losing 5.30% or 0.075 to 1.340.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 0.35% to 16.180.
Gold Futures for February delivery was down 0.09% or 1.10 to $1218.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 1.40% or 0.72 to hit $52.28 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 1.32% or 0.80 to trade at $61.20 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.17% to 0.7237, while AUD/JPY rose 0.27% to 82.42.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.00% at 97.278.