Australian share markets finished lower on Thursday, with losses in information technology, materials and metals & mining weighing on the benchmark S&P/ASX 200.
At the close in Sydney the S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.03% and registered a fresh one-month low.
The session's top performers on the S&P/ASX 200 included Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1), which advanced 4.53% or 0.80 points to finish at 18.46. Mercury NZ Ltd (ASX:MCY) rose 4.50% or 0.24 points to close at 5.57, and AP Eagers Ltd (ASX:APE) gained 3.75% or 0.74 points to end the day at 20.45.
On the downside, IperionX Limited (ASX:IPX) led the decliners, slipping 8.04% or 0.25 points to 2.86 at the close. Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX:WGX) fell 5.83% or 0.36 points to 5.82, while Austal Ltd (ASX:ASB) dropped 5.79% or 0.27 points to finish at 4.39.
Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 761 to 333, with 356 stocks unchanged.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures implied volatility for S&ASX 200 options, climbed 11.84% to 13.14, marking a three-month high.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for December delivery was effectively flat, edging up 0.01% or 0.37 to $4,461.07 a troy ounce. Oil prices moved lower: crude for October delivery fell 0.65% or 0.62 to $95.43 a barrel, and the November Brent contract eased 0.92% or 0.93 to trade at $100.28 a barrel.
Currency markets showed small moves for the Australian dollar. AUD/USD was essentially unchanged, moving 0.07% to 0.72, while AUD/JPY dipped 0.06% to 110.76. The US Dollar Index Futures traded down 0.08% at 98.73.
Investors and analysts watching individual stock moves saw a mix of sector-specific drivers: selected technology and retail-exposed names outperformed, while commodities-linked and shipbuilding-related equities were under pressure.
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Market snapshot
- S&P/ASX 200 -1.03% to a one-month low
- VIX (S&P/ASX 200) +11.84% to 13.14 (3-month high)
- Gold (Dec) +0.01% to $4,461.07/oz
- WTI Crude (Oct) -0.65% to $95.43/bbl; Brent (Nov) -0.92% to $100.28/bbl
- AUD/USD +0.07% to 0.72; AUD/JPY -0.06% to 110.76