Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Gold, Financials and Industrials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.20% to hit a new 1-month low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Sirtex Medical Ltd (AX:SRX), which rose 8.56% or 0.920 points to trade at 11.670 at the close. Meanwhile, Syrah Resources Ltd (AX:SYR) added 6.56% or 0.160 points to end at 2.600 and Bellamys Australia Ltd (AX:BAL) was up 5.76% or 0.300 points to 5.510 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Southern Cross Media Group Ltd (AX:SXL), which fell 5.43% or 0.070 points to trade at 1.220 at the close. Northern Star Resources Ltd (AX:NST) declined 4.75% or 0.220 points to end at 4.410 and G.U.D. Holdings Ltd (AX:GUD) was down 4.46% or 0.550 points to 11.790.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 546 to 528 and 362 ended unchanged.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 2.49% to 13.077.
Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.26% or 3.21 to $1249.59 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June rose 0.91% or 0.45 to hit $49.80 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract rose 0.80% or 0.42 to trade at $52.93 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.12% to 0.7427, while AUD/JPY rose 0.04% to 82.73.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.08% at 97.69.