Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Gold, A-REITs and Industrials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.64%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Magellan Financial Group Ltd (AX:MFG), which rose 4.69% or 1.240 points to trade at 27.700 at the close. Meanwhile, Beach Energy Ltd (AX:BPT) added 4.44% or 0.058 points to end at 1.353 and Platinum Asset Management Ltd (AX:PTM) was up 4.42% or 0.350 points to 8.260 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Macquarie Atlas Roads Group (AX:MQA), which fell 5.22% or 0.325 points to trade at 5.905 at the close. Syrah Resources Ltd (AX:SYR) declined 5.14% or 0.245 points to end at 4.525 and Pact Group Holdings Ltd (AX:PGH) was down 4.89% or 0.280 points to 5.450.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 743 to 524 and 354 ended unchanged.
Shares in Beach Energy Ltd (AX:BPT) rose to 3-years highs; rising 4.44% or 0.058 to 1.353. Shares in Platinum Asset Management Ltd (AX:PTM) rose to 52-week highs; rising 4.42% or 0.350 to 8.260.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 14.37% to 10.827.
Gold Futures for February delivery was down 0.16% or 2.10 to $1311.60 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February rose 0.81% or 0.51 to hit $63.47 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 0.51% or 0.35 to trade at $69.17 a barrel.
AUD/USD was unchanged 0.00% to 0.7824, while AUD/JPY fell 0.35% to 87.83.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.04% at 92.19.