Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Gold, Metals & Mining and IT sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 3.25% to hit a new 6-months low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Nextdc Ltd (ASX:NXT), which rose 6.33% or 0.47 points to trade at 7.89 at the close. Meanwhile, Perenti Global Ltd (ASX:PRN) added 3.85% or 0.050 points to end at 1.350 and Jumbo Interactive Ltd (ASX:JIN) was up 2.60% or 0.28 points to 11.05 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX:GOR), which fell 13.95% or 0.235 points to trade at 1.450 at the close. Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX:HVN) declined 13.66% or 0.590 points to end at 3.730 and Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:CUV) was down 10.84% or 2.16 points to 17.77.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 1289 to 149 and 209 ended unchanged.
Shares in Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:CUV) fell to 52-week lows; down 10.84% or 2.16 to 17.77.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 25.45% to 25.314 a new 3-years high.
Gold Futures for April delivery was down 0.61% or 10.10 to $1632.40 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April fell 3.14% or 1.48 to hit $45.61 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract fell 2.84% or 1.47 to trade at $50.26 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.69% to 0.6523, while AUD/JPY fell 1.31% to 71.03.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.16% at 98.308.