Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Energy, IT and Consumer Discretionary sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.11%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were G8 Education Ltd (AX:GEM), which rose 11.32% or 0.240 points to trade at 2.360 at the close. Meanwhile, Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd (AX:SIG) added 4.90% or 0.025 points to end at 0.535 and Costa Group Holdings Ltd (AX:CGC) was up 4.65% or 0.290 points to 6.520 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Lend Lease Group (AX:LLC), which fell 18.68% or 3.260 points to trade at 14.190 at the close. Corporate Travel Managment Ltd (AX:CTD) declined 8.41% or 1.930 points to end at 21.020 and Orocobre Ltd (AX:ORE) was down 7.23% or 0.340 points to 4.360.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 567 to 534 and 380 ended unchanged.
Shares in Lend Lease Group (AX:LLC) fell to 52-week lows; losing 18.68% or 3.260 to 14.190.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 1.45% to 14.088.
Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.36% or 4.40 to $1220.70 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December fell 0.08% or 0.05 to hit $60.62 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 0.10% or 0.07 to trade at $70.72 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.14% to 0.7247, while AUD/JPY fell 0.25% to 82.56.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.09% at 96.58.