Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Gold, Financials and Industrials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 3.60% to hit a new 52-week low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Austal Ltd (ASX:ASB), which rose 5.50% or 0.17 points to trade at 3.26 at the close. Meanwhile, Steadfast Group Ltd (ASX:SDF) added 4.38% or 0.14 points to end at 3.34 and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) was up 2.62% or 0.240 points to 9.400 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX:PLS), which fell 13.04% or 0.030 points to trade at 0.200 at the close. NRW Holdings Ltd (ASX:NWH) declined 11.68% or 0.23 points to end at 1.74 and Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX:GOR) was down 9.92% or 0.130 points to 1.180.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 809 to 413 and 254 ended unchanged.
Shares in Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX:PLS) fell to 3-years lows; down 13.04% or 0.030 to 0.200. Shares in NRW Holdings Ltd (ASX:NWH) fell to 52-week lows; down 11.68% or 0.23 to 1.74.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 19.33% to 35.836 a new 5-year high.
Gold Futures for April delivery was up 0.16% or 2.60 to $1662.90 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April rose 0.99% or 0.34 to hit $34.70 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract rose 1.75% or 0.65 to trade at $37.87 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.08% to 0.6500, while AUD/JPY fell 1.32% to 67.80.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.48% at 95.927.