Australia stocks closed lower on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 down 0.39%. The decline was led by losses in the Gold, Consumer Staples, and Metals & Mining sectors.
Insignia Financial Ltd (ASX:IFL) was among the best performers, rising 6.38%, while Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX:PRU) and Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:LYC) were among the worst performers, falling 3.56% and 3.31%, respectively.
The broader market showed 523 rising stocks, 607 declining stocks, and 368 unchanged stocks on the Sydney Stock Exchange.
In commodities, Gold Futures for February delivery increased 0.40% to $2,051.05 a troy ounce. Crude oil for February delivery rose 0.77% to $73.26 a barrel, and the March Brent oil contract added 0.55% to $78.68 a barrel.
The AUD/USD pair was unchanged at 0.67, while the AUD/JPY pair rose 0.40% to 96.84. The US Dollar Index Futures were down 0.01% at 102.19.