Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Tuesday, as losses in the IT, Resources and Metals & Mining sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.68%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were South32 Ltd (AX:S32), which rose 5.19% or 0.075 points to trade at 1.520 at the close. Meanwhile, Seven West Media Ltd (AX:SWM) added 4.41% or 0.045 points to end at 1.065 and Primary Health Care Ltd (AX:PRY) was up 3.69% or 0.130 points to 3.650 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Worleyparsons Ltd (AX:WOR), which fell 9.47% or 0.620 points to trade at 5.930 at the close. Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (AX:FMG) declined 9.42% or 0.290 points to end at 2.790 and Mesoblast Ltd (AX:MSB) was down 6.53% or 0.160 points to 2.290.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 538 to 417 and 297 ended unchanged.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 5.64% to 18.742.
Gold for April delivery was up 0.54% or 6.80 to $1270.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April fell 1.11% or 0.42 to hit $37.48 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract fell 1.15% or 0.47 to trade at $40.37 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.62% to 0.7422, while AUD/JPY fell 0.97% to 83.89.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.06% at 97.06.