Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the A-REITs, Gold and Energy sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 3.44% to hit a new 3-years low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX:NWL), which rose 16.12% or 0.93 points to trade at 6.70 at the close. Meanwhile, Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX:WHC) added 9.31% or 0.135 points to end at 1.585 and Unibail Rodamco Westfield (ASX:URW) was up 8.33% or 0.36 points to 4.68 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX:SUL), which fell 35.14% or 1.94 points to trade at 3.58 at the close. Flight Centre Ltd (ASX:FLT) declined 33.04% or 4.89 points to end at 9.91 and Cimic Group Ltd (ASX:CIM) was down 31.29% or 5.92 points to 13.00.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 1092 to 232 and 185 ended unchanged.
Shares in Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX:SUL) fell to 5-year lows; falling 35.14% or 1.94 to 3.58. Shares in Flight Centre Ltd (ASX:FLT) fell to 5-year lows; falling 33.04% or 4.89 to 9.91. Shares in Cimic Group Ltd (ASX:CIM) fell to 5-year lows; down 31.29% or 5.92 to 13.00.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 0.37% to 52.901.
Gold Futures for April delivery was up 0.56% or 8.30 to $1486.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 12.82% or 2.67 to hit $23.50 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract rose 5.55% or 1.38 to trade at $26.26 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.76% to 0.5727, while AUD/JPY fell 0.21% to 62.23.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.15% at 101.390.