Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Utilities, Telecoms Services and A-REITs sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.17%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Independence Group NL (AX:IGO), which rose 6.72% or 0.270 points to trade at 4.290 at the close. Meanwhile, Resolute Mining Ltd (AX:RSG) added 6.32% or 0.060 points to end at 1.010 and Western Areas Ltd (AX:WSA) was up 5.34% or 0.150 points to 2.960 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Myer Holdings Ltd (AX:MYR), which fell 9.66% or 0.070 points to trade at 0.655 at the close. Retail Food Group Ltd (AX:RFG) declined 2.92% or 0.090 points to end at 2.990 and Credit Corp Group Ltd (AX:CCP) was down 2.87% or 0.640 points to 21.660.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 586 to 579 and 362 ended unchanged.
Shares in Myer Holdings Ltd (AX:MYR) fell to all time lows; losing 9.66% or 0.070 to 0.655. Shares in Retail Food Group Ltd (AX:RFG) fell to 3-years lows; down 2.92% or 0.090 to 2.990.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 4.93% to 11.426.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.93% or 11.60 to $1260.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 0.21% or 0.12 to hit $56.72 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 0.58% or 0.36 to trade at $62.80 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.35% to 0.7663, while AUD/JPY rose 0.38% to 86.27.
The US Dollar Index Futures was unchanged 0.00% at 93.40.