Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the IT, A-REITs and Metals & Mining sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.98% to hit a new 1-month low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were St Barbara Ltd (ASX:SBM), which rose 3.39% or 0.01 points to trade at 0.31 at the close. Meanwhile, Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX:PRU) added 1.76% or 0.04 points to end at 2.31 and Santos Ltd (ASX:STO) was up 1.69% or 0.13 points to 7.82 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:CUV), which fell 5.82% or 0.89 points to trade at 14.40 at the close. Omni Bridgeway Ltd (ASX:OBL) declined 5.38% or 0.07 points to end at 1.23 and Polynovo Ltd (ASX:PNV) was down 5.34% or 0.11 points to 1.95.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 789 to 368 and 433 ended unchanged.
Shares in Omni Bridgeway Ltd (ASX:OBL) fell to 5-year lows; falling 5.38% or 0.07 to 1.23.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 18.87% to 14.46 a new 3-months high.
Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.05% or 1.10 to $2,396.90 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 1.47% or 1.22 to hit $83.95 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract rose 1.46% or 1.27 to trade at $88.38 a barrel.
AUD/USD was unchanged 0.32% to 0.64, while AUD/JPY fell 0.51% to 98.80.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.07% at 106.06.
