Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Tuesday, as losses in the Consumer Discretionary, IT and Industrials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.12% to hit a new 3-months low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Santos Ltd (AX:STO), which rose 16.57% or 0.840 points to trade at 5.910 at the close. Meanwhile, Independence Group NL (AX:IGO) added 4.57% or 0.210 points to end at 4.810 and Western Areas Ltd (AX:WSA) was up 4.31% or 0.135 points to 3.265 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were BT Investment Management Ltd (AX:BTT), which fell 3.28% or 0.330 points to trade at 9.720 at the close. Nextdc Ltd (AX:NXT) declined 3.06% or 0.200 points to end at 6.340 and Magellan Financial Group Ltd (AX:MFG) was down 2.92% or 0.695 points to 23.145.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 788 to 449 and 366 ended unchanged.
Shares in Santos Ltd (AX:STO) rose to 52-week highs; rising 16.57% or 0.840 to 5.910. Shares in BT Investment Management Ltd (AX:BTT) fell to 52-week lows; falling 3.28% or 0.330 to 9.720.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 0.98% to 16.445.
Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.27% or 3.70 to $1343.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 0.11% or 0.07 to hit $63.08 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract rose 0.12% or 0.08 to trade at $67.72 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.30% to 0.7685, while AUD/JPY rose 0.39% to 81.46.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.03% at 89.66.