Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the IT, A-REITs and Gold sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 2.74%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO), which rose 0.73% or 0.730 points to trade at 101.210 at the close. Meanwhile, OZ Minerals Ltd (ASX:OZL) added 0.59% or 0.17 points to end at 28.95 and Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:CUV) was up 0.41% or 0.11 points to 26.88 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (ASX:APT), which fell 10.76% or 8.66 points to trade at 71.85 at the close. Seek Ltd (ASX:SEK) declined 7.31% or 2.43 points to end at 30.83 and Platinum Asset Management Ltd (ASX:PTM) was down 7.27% or 0.20 points to 2.55.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 1091 to 371 and 352 ended unchanged.
Shares in Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (ASX:APT) fell to 52-week lows; falling 10.76% or 8.66 to 71.85. Shares in OZ Minerals Ltd (ASX:OZL) rose to 5-year highs; up 0.59% or 0.17 to 28.95. Shares in Platinum Asset Management Ltd (ASX:PTM) fell to all time lows; falling 7.27% or 0.20 to 2.55.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 23.83% to 13.525.
Gold Futures for February delivery was down 1.32% or 24.05 to $1801.05 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February fell 0.49% or 0.38 to hit $77.47 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract fell 0.52% or 0.42 to trade at $80.38 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.82% to 0.7160, while AUD/JPY fell 0.97% to 83.00.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.21% at 96.382.