Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Monday, as losses in the Metals & Mining, Materials and Resources sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.17%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Slater & Gordon Ltd (AX:SGH), which rose 6.52% or 0.045 points to trade at 0.735 at the close. Meanwhile, ALS Ltd (AX:ALQ) added 4.75% or 0.170 points to end at 3.750 and Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AX:WHC) was up 4.20% or 0.025 points to 0.620 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Austal Ltd (AX:ASB), which fell 17.36% or 0.250 points to trade at 1.190 at the close. AWE Ltd (AX:AWE) declined 7.22% or 0.035 points to end at 0.450 and Beach Energy Ltd (AX:BPT) was down 6.52% or 0.030 points to 0.430.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 644 to 360 and 167 ended unchanged.
Shares in Austal Ltd (AX:ASB) fell to 52-week lows; down 17.36% or 0.250 to 1.190. Shares in AWE Ltd (AX:AWE) fell to 5-year lows; losing 7.22% or 0.035 to 0.450.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 8.27% to 24.034 a new 3-months high.
Gold for February delivery was up 0.81% or 8.90 to $1106.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February fell 2.65% or 0.88 to hit $32.28 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract fell 1.86% or 0.62 to trade at $32.92 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.17% to 0.6964, while AUD/JPY rose 0.06% to 81.58.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.05% at 98.41.