Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Financials, IT and Consumer Discretionary sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 2.81% to hit a new 6-months low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (ASX:SAR), which rose 5.93% or 0.24 points to trade at 4.29 at the close. Meanwhile, Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX:GOR) added 5.09% or 0.070 points to end at 1.445 and Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:CUV) was up 5.08% or 0.86 points to 17.78 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were oOh!Media Ltd (ASX:OML), which fell 11.15% or 0.30 points to trade at 2.39 at the close. Avita Medical (ASX:AVH) declined 11.02% or 0.070 points to end at 0.565 and Virgin Money UK PLC (ASX:VUK) was down 10.07% or 0.28 points to 2.50.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 1016 to 236 and 249 ended unchanged.
Shares in oOh!Media Ltd (ASX:OML) fell to 3-years lows; losing 11.15% or 0.30 to 2.39.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 20.47% to 26.687 a new 3-years high.
Gold Futures for April delivery was up 0.40% or 6.75 to $1674.75 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April fell 0.83% or 0.38 to hit $45.52 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract fell 0.84% or 0.42 to trade at $49.57 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.02% to 0.6612, while AUD/JPY fell 0.23% to 70.05.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.21% at 96.590.