Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Tuesday, as losses in the Energy, Healthcare and IT sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.94% to hit a new 1-month low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Metcash Ltd (AX:MTS), which rose 5.74% or 0.120 points to trade at 2.210 at the close. Meanwhile, Independence Group NL (AX:IGO) added 4.89% or 0.160 points to end at 3.430 and Regis Resources Ltd (AX:RRL) was up 4.37% or 0.145 points to 3.465 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Mesoblast Ltd (AX:MSB), which fell 35.68% or 0.685 points to trade at 1.235 at the close. Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (AX:LNG) declined 11.14% or 0.093 points to end at 0.738 and Beach Energy Ltd (AX:BPT) was down 7.69% or 0.055 points to 0.660.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 780 to 302 and 350 ended unchanged.
Shares in Metcash Ltd (AX:MTS) rose to 52-week highs; up 5.74% or 0.120 to 2.210.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 25.96% to 20.508 a new 3-months high.
Gold for August delivery was down 0.34% or 4.35 to $1282.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 0.88% or 0.43 to hit $48.45 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.75% or 0.38 to trade at $49.97 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.16% to 0.7400, while AUD/JPY fell 0.10% to 78.40.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.10% at 94.51.