In Monday’s trading session, Australian stocks closed lower, with the S&P/ASX 200 experiencing a 0.76% decline. The downturn was primarily attributed to losses in the A-REITs, Consumer Discretionary, and Metals & Mining sectors.
At the market’s close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 reported a decrease of 0.76%. Notable performers included Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS), which exhibited a 4.92% increase, or 0.08 points, closing at 1.60. Meanwhile, Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) saw a gain of 3.90%, or 0.02 points, concluding at 0.40, and Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) rose by 3.85%, or 0.05 points, reaching 1.35 in late trade.
Conversely, the session’s underperformers included Region Re Ltd Unit (ASX: RGN), which experienced a decline of 2.96%, or 0.06 points, closing at 1.97. Adbri Ltd (ASX: ABC) decreased by 2.93%, or 0.06 points, finishing at 1.99, and Ingenia Communities Group (ASX: INA) reported a 2.91% drop, or 0.12 points, closing at 4.01.
Market dynamics revealed a ratio of falling stocks outnumbering advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange, with 684 declining, 509 advancing, and 350 remaining unchanged.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, measuring the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, registered a 6.11% increase, reaching 10.88.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for December delivery exhibited a 0.43% increase, or 8.60, closing at $2,011.60 per troy ounce. Meanwhile, Crude oil for January delivery experienced a 0.99% decline, or 0.75, settling at $74.79 per barrel, and the February Brent oil contract decreased by 0.93%, or 0.75, trading at $79.73 per barrel.
Currency markets witnessed the AUD/USD remaining unchanged at 0.66%, while the AUD/JPY fell by 0.33% to 98.00.
The US Dollar Index Futures reported a marginal 0.04% decrease, settling at 103.26.