Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Financials, Utilities and A-REITs sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.35%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were ALS Ltd (ASX:ALQ), which rose 12.13% or 0.980 points to trade at 9.060 at the close. Meanwhile, Technology One Ltd (ASX:TNE) added 11.08% or 0.870 points to end at 8.720 and Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX:ALL) was up 5.80% or 1.845 points to 33.645 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (ASX:SAR), which fell 8.87% or 0.295 points to trade at 3.030 at the close. Austal Ltd (ASX:ASB) declined 6.46% or 0.290 points to end at 4.200 and Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) was down 4.91% or 1.290 points to 24.980.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 681 to 466 and 323 ended unchanged.
Shares in ALS Ltd (ASX:ALQ) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 12.13% or 0.980 to 9.060. Shares in Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX:ALL) rose to all time highs; up 5.80% or 1.845 to 33.645.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 6.97% to 11.222.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.12% or 1.75 to $1476.05 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 0.14% or 0.08 to hit $55.27 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract fell 0.30% or 0.18 to trade at $60.73 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.11% to 0.6817, while AUD/JPY fell 0.13% to 73.97.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.04% at 97.780.