Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Monday, as losses in the Metals & Mining, Resources and Materials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.78%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (AX:APT), which rose 5.76% or 0.650 points to trade at 11.940 at the close. Meanwhile, Viva Energy Group Ltd (AX:VEA) added 4.75% or 0.09 points to end at 1.99 and Super Retail Group Ltd (AX:SUL) was up 4.59% or 0.330 points to 7.520 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Independence Group NL (AX:IGO), which fell 7.71% or 0.300 points to trade at 3.590 at the close. Mineral Resources Ltd (AX:MIN) declined 6.65% or 1.030 points to end at 14.450 and Bluescope Steel Ltd (AX:BSL) was down 6.03% or 0.760 points to 11.840.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 705 to 438 and 332 ended unchanged.
Shares in Independence Group NL (AX:IGO) fell to 52-week lows; falling 7.71% or 0.300 to 3.590. Shares in Bluescope Steel Ltd (AX:BSL) fell to 52-week lows; falling 6.03% or 0.760 to 11.840.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 2.70% to 17.000.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.24% or 2.90 to $1232.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 1.33% or 0.67 to hit $51.09 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 1.69% or 1.00 to trade at $60.04 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.25% to 0.7249, while AUD/JPY rose 0.42% to 82.06.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.04% at 96.790.