Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Gold, Consumer Staples and Metals & Mining sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.28%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Flexigroup Ltd (AX:FXL), which rose 17.06% or 0.424 points to trade at 2.910 at the close. Meanwhile, Bega Cheese Ltd (AX:BGA) added 14.92% or 0.740 points to end at 5.700 and Blackmores Ltd (AX:BKL) was up 12.90% or 20.060 points to 175.510 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Metcash Ltd (AX:MTS), which fell 10.45% or 0.140 points to trade at 1.200 at the close. Ten Network Holdings Ltd (AX:TEN) declined 10.33% or 0.019 points to end at 0.165 and Woolworths Ltd (AX:WOW) was down 9.76% or 2.670 points to 24.700.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 525 to 449 and 149 ended unchanged.
Shares in Bega Cheese Ltd (AX:BGA) rose to all time highs; rising 14.92% or 0.740 to 5.700. Shares in Blackmores Ltd (AX:BKL) rose to all time highs; rising 12.90% or 20.060 to 175.510.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 8.63% to 19.520.
Gold for December delivery was down 1.32% or 15.50 to $1160.60 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December fell 0.84% or 0.39 to hit $45.55 a barrel, while the December Brent oil contract fell 0.63% or 0.31 to trade at $48.74 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.04% to 0.7115, while AUD/JPY fell 0.28% to 85.94.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.07% at 97.62.