Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Metals & Mining, Materials and Resources sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.40% to hit a new 1-month low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were AP Eagers Ltd (ASX:APE), which rose 8.97% or 1.07 points to trade at 13.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX:QUB) added 8.70% or 0.26 points to end at 3.25 and Medibank Private Ltd (ASX:MPL) was up 6.49% or 0.20 points to 3.28 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Platinum Asset Management Ltd (ASX:PTM), which fell 16.89% or 0.38 points to trade at 1.90 at the close. Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX:BGA) declined 7.78% or 0.28 points to end at 3.32 and Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX:QAN) was down 6.80% or 0.44 points to 6.03.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 682 to 612 and 362 ended unchanged.
Shares in Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX:QUB) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 8.70% or 0.26 to 3.25.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 2.68% to 12.64.
Gold Futures for April delivery was down 0.24% or 4.35 to $1,837.15 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April rose 0.22% or 0.16 to hit $74.11 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract rose 0.21% or 0.17 to trade at $80.77 a barrel.
AUD/USD was unchanged 0.35% to 0.68, while AUD/JPY rose 0.32% to 92.06.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.14% at 104.38.