Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the IT, Utilities and Healthcare sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.30%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Monadelphous Group Ltd (AX:MND), which rose 8.36% or 1.210 points to trade at 15.690 at the close. Meanwhile, A2 Milk Company Ltd (AX:A2M) added 6.78% or 0.305 points to end at 4.805 and Virtus Health Ltd (AX:VRT) was up 6.20% or 0.340 points to 5.820 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Healthscope (AX:HSO), which fell 15.07% or 0.330 points to trade at 1.860 at the close. Sirtex Medical Ltd (AX:SRX) declined 11.32% or 1.840 points to end at 14.420 and Insurance Australia Group Ltd (AX:IAG) was down 8.14% or 0.550 points to 6.210.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 588 to 525 and 390 ended unchanged.
Shares in Monadelphous Group Ltd (AX:MND) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 8.36% or 1.210 to 15.690. Shares in Healthscope (AX:HSO) fell to all time lows; down 15.07% or 0.330 to 1.860. Shares in A2 Milk Company Ltd (AX:A2M) rose to all time highs; gaining 6.78% or 0.305 to 4.805.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 1.15% to 13.503.
Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.02% or 0.24 to $1290.76 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in October fell 0.25% or 0.12 to hit $47.71 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract fell 0.27% or 0.14 to trade at $51.73 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.27% to 0.7891, while AUD/JPY fell 0.36% to 86.38.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.05% at 93.47.