In the aftermath of Friday’s trading session, Australian stocks concluded on a lower note as losses in the Information Technology (IT), Consumer Staples, and Consumer Discretionary sectors weighed down the market.
Closing in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 registered a decline of 0.20%.
Among the notable performers on the S&P/ASX 200 were Perenti Global Ltd (ASX: PRN), demonstrating a robust performance with a 6.67% gain, or 0.07 points, closing at 1.12. Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) also made notable gains, adding 4.27% or 0.30 points to conclude at 7.33, while Pointsbet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH) saw an increase of 4.00%, or 0.03 points, reaching 0.78 in late trade.
Conversely, Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN) emerged as one of the session’s worst performers, experiencing a decline of 5.31% or 0.23 points to settle at 4.10. Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) faced a downturn of 4.80%, or 0.03 points, concluding at 0.59, and Omni Bridgeway Ltd (ASX: OBL) saw a dip of 4.52%, or 0.07 points, reaching 1.48.
The Sydney Stock Exchange witnessed 617 falling stocks, surpassing the 561 advancing ones, with 373 maintaining their positions unchanged.
Shares in Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) and Omni Bridgeway Ltd (ASX: OBL) marked a significant downturn, hitting 5-year lows with declines of 4.80% and 4.52%, respectively.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, gauging the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, experienced a 0.24% increase, settling at 9.69.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for December delivery rose by 0.15% or 3.10 to $2,041.20 per troy ounce. Meanwhile, Crude oil for January delivery saw a modest increase of 0.13% or 0.10, reaching $76.06 per barrel. On the other hand, the February Brent oil contract experienced a slight dip of 0.09%, settling at $80.79 per barrel.
The AUD/USD remained unchanged at 0.66%, while the AUD/JPY observed a marginal decline of 0.04%, reaching 97.87.
The US Dollar Index Futures displayed a 0.14% decline, closing at 103.28.