Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Tuesday, as losses in the Consumer Staples, Energy and Telecoms Services sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.53%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Select Harvests Ltd (AX:SHV), which rose 6.12% or 0.410 points to trade at 7.110 at the close. Meanwhile, Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (AX:LNG) added 3.48% or 0.020 points to end at 0.595 and Mineral Resources Ltd (AX:MIN) was up 3.11% or 0.250 points to 8.300 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Flexigroup Ltd (AX:FXL), which fell 6.33% or 0.140 points to trade at 2.070 at the close. Programmed Maintenance Services Ltd (AX:PRG) declined 3.09% or 0.060 points to end at 1.880 and Woodside Petroleum Ltd (AX:WPL) was down 2.46% or 0.690 points to 27.380.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 507 to 494 and 334 ended unchanged.
Shares in Flexigroup Ltd (AX:FXL) fell to 3-years lows; falling 6.33% or 0.140 to 2.070. Shares in Mineral Resources Ltd (AX:MIN) rose to 52-week highs; rising 3.11% or 0.250 to 8.300.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 1.05% to 16.434.
Gold for August delivery was down 0.10% or 1.25 to $1215.45 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July rose 0.65% or 0.32 to hit $49.65 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.14% or 0.07 to trade at $50.29 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.81% to 0.7241, while AUD/JPY rose 0.94% to 80.56.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.01% at 95.71.