Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Monday, as losses in the A-REITs, Industrials and Financials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.94% to hit a new 1-month low.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (AX:LNG), which rose 14.56% or 0.190 points to trade at 1.495 at the close. Meanwhile, Slater & Gordon Ltd (AX:SGH) added 6.06% or 0.160 points to end at 2.800 and Santos Ltd (AX:STO) was up 4.03% or 0.160 points to 4.130 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Mesoblast Ltd (AX:MSB), which fell 38.42% or 1.310 points to trade at 2.100 at the close. Paladin Energy Ltd (AX:PDN) declined 7.41% or 0.020 points to end at 0.250 and Mineral Resources Ltd (AX:MIN) was down 5.69% or 0.240 points to 3.980.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 602 to 366 and 128 ended unchanged.
Shares in Mesoblast Ltd (AX:MSB) fell to 5-year lows; down 38.42% or 1.310 to 2.100.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 5.52% to 22.346.
Gold for December delivery was up 1.50% or 16.20 to $1097.10 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December rose 0.38% or 0.15 to hit $40.90 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 0.64% or 0.28 to trade at $44.76 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.18% to 0.7117, while AUD/JPY fell 0.34% to 87.10.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.24% at 99.12.