Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the IT, Energy and A-REITs sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.86% to hit a new 1-month low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Qbe Insurance Group Ltd (ASX:QBE), which rose 7.39% or 0.99 points to trade at 14.39 at the close. Meanwhile, A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX:A2M) added 6.29% or 0.42 points to end at 7.10 and Corporate Travel Managment Ltd (ASX:CTD) was up 4.50% or 0.78 points to 18.10 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Mesoblast Ltd (ASX:MSB), which fell 7.18% or 0.08 points to trade at 0.97 at the close. Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) declined 5.86% or 0.17 points to end at 2.73 and Centuria Industrial Reit Unit (ASX:CIP) was down 5.76% or 0.20 points to 3.27.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 817 to 427 and 403 ended unchanged.
Shares in Qbe Insurance Group Ltd (ASX:QBE) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 7.39% or 0.99 to 14.39. Shares in A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX:A2M) rose to 52-week highs; rising 6.29% or 0.42 to 7.10.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 3.03% to 13.04.
Gold Futures for April delivery was down 0.89% or 16.45 to $1,835.35 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March fell 1.22% or 0.96 to hit $77.53 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract fell 1.12% or 0.95 to trade at $84.19 a barrel.
AUD/USD was unchanged 0.39% to 0.68, while AUD/JPY rose 0.16% to 92.25.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.48% at 104.29.