Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Tuesday, as losses in the Utilities, Healthcare and Consumer Staples sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.06%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were ALS Ltd (AX:ALQ), which rose 9.31% or 0.670 points to trade at 7.870 at the close. Meanwhile, Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AX:WHC) added 5.86% or 0.160 points to end at 2.890 and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (AX:FMG) was up 3.62% or 0.170 points to 4.860 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Metcash Ltd (AX:MTS), which fell 4.35% or 0.100 points to trade at 2.200 at the close. Blackmores Ltd (AX:BKL) declined 4.24% or 3.98 points to end at 89.97 and Myer Holdings Ltd (AX:MYR) was down 3.45% or 0.030 points to 0.840.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 671 to 515 and 461 ended unchanged.
Shares in ALS Ltd (AX:ALQ) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 9.31% or 0.670 to 7.870. Shares in Myer Holdings Ltd (AX:MYR) fell to 52-week lows; down 3.45% or 0.030 to 0.840.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 2.32% to 12.895.
Gold Futures for August delivery was up 0.01% or 0.07 to $1246.47 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August rose 0.16% or 0.07 to hit $43.45 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract rose 0.26% or 0.12 to trade at $46.16 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.17% to 0.7599, while AUD/JPY rose 0.12% to 84.94.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.07% at 97.04.