On Wednesday, Australian stocks closed lower with the S&P/ASX 200 facing a 0.29% decline, as losses in the Gold, Energy, and Resources sectors exerted downward pressure on shares.
Closing in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 reached a new one-month low, reflecting the challenging market conditions.
A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX:A2M) emerged as one of the top performers during the session, experiencing a 6.03% rise, adding 0.24 points and concluding at 4.22 at the close. Deterra Royalties Ltd (ASX:DRR) also demonstrated strength, posting a 3.92% increase or 0.19 points, closing at 5.04. Pointsbet Holdings Ltd (ASX:PBH) experienced a 3.73% gain, adding 0.03 points and settling at 0.83 during late trade.
Conversely, Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX:EVN) faced significant setbacks, marking a 16.53% decline or a decrease of 0.62 points, concluding at 3.13. Bapcor Ltd (ASX:BAP) witnessed a 6.25% drop, losing 0.35 points and finishing at 5.25. Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) recorded a 5.10% decrease or 0.03 points, closing at 0.47.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange, with 674 declining, 470 advancing, and 378 remaining unchanged.
Shares in Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) reached all-time lows, falling 5.10% to 0.47.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, measuring the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, experienced a 1.71% decrease, reaching 11.16.
Gold Futures for February delivery observed a 0.31% decline, down by 6.35 to $2,023.85 per troy ounce. In other commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March fell by 0.85%, losing 0.62 and reaching $71.90 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract recorded a 0.77% decrease, down by 0.60 and trading at $77.69 a barrel.
The AUD/USD pair remained unchanged at 0.66%, while AUD/JPY experienced a 0.14% decline, reaching 96.77.
The US Dollar Index Futures increased by 0.11%, closing at 103.22.