Australian stocks ended lower on Wednesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 index declining by 0.51%, primarily due to losses in the Utilities, IT, and Industrials sectors.
Top Performers
Despite the overall market decline, some stocks showed notable gains. Healius Ltd (ASX) led the session, rising 8.61% or 0.12 points to close at 1.45. St Barbara Ltd (ASX) followed, gaining 4.35% or 0.01 points to end at 0.24. Woodside Energy Ltd (ASX) also performed well, up 2.69% or 0.73 points to finish at 27.82.
Worst Performers
On the other hand, several stocks saw significant declines. Nickel Mines Ltd (ASX) was the worst performer, falling 7.61% or 0.07 points to close at 0.85. Unibail Rodamco Westfield (ASX) decreased by 4.40% or 0.28 points to end at 6.09. Atlas Arteria (ASX) also struggled, down 4.35% or 0.22 points to 4.84, reaching a three-year low.
Market Breadth
The Sydney Stock Exchange saw more declining stocks than advancing ones, with 727 stocks falling compared to 412 rising, while 480 stocks remained unchanged.
Volatility and Commodities
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, measuring the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, remained unchanged at 11.68.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for August delivery increased by 0.25% or 5.80, reaching $2,332.40 per troy ounce. Crude oil for July delivery rose 0.80% or 0.62 to $78.52 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract climbed 0.61% or 0.50 to $82.42 a barrel.
Currency Market
In the currency market, AUD/USD remained relatively unchanged, rising 0.15% to 0.66. AUD/JPY increased by 0.24% to 104.06. The US Dollar Index Futures, which tracks the greenback against a basket of other currencies, declined by 0.36% to 104.82.
Overall, the Australian market faced a challenging session with significant sector-specific declines, despite some stocks achieving gains and commodities showing positive trends.
Related topics: