Australia stocks lower at close of trade; S&P/ASX 200 down 0.66%

Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Consumer Staples, Metals&Mining and Resources sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.66%.

The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were CSR Ltd (ASX:CSR), which rose 17.43% or 1.18 points to trade at 7.95 at the close. Meanwhile, Codan Ltd (ASX:CDA) added 15.71% or 1.32 points to end at 9.72 and Wisetech Global Ltd (ASX:WTC) was up 10.82% or 8.64 points to 88.49 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Corporate Travel Managment Ltd (ASX:CTD), which fell 19.92% or 3.95 points to trade at 15.89 at the close. Omni Bridgeway Ltd (ASX:OBL) declined 8.76% or 0.16 points to end at 1.61 and Woolworths Ltd (ASX:WOW) was down 6.80% or 2.44 points to 33.43.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 714 to 410 and 304 ended unchanged.

Shares in CSR Ltd (ASX:CSR) rose to 5-year highs; up 17.43% or 1.18 to 7.95. Shares in Codan Ltd (ASX:CDA) rose to 52-week highs; up 15.71% or 1.32 to 9.72. Shares in Wisetech Global Ltd (ASX:WTC) rose to all time highs; gaining 10.82% or 8.64 to 88.49. Shares in Woolworths Ltd (ASX:WOW) fell to 52-week lows; down 6.80% or 2.44 to 33.43.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 3.05% to 11.23.

Gold Futures for April delivery was up 0.07% or 1.35 to $2,041.15 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April rose 0.36% or 0.28 to hit $77.32 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract rose 0.40% or 0.33 to trade at $82.67 a barrel.

AUD/USD was unchanged 0.28% to 0.66, while AUD/JPY rose 0.30% to 98.53.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.05% at 103.93.