Australia stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the IT, Consumer Staples and Industrials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.25%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (AX:SAR), which rose 4.97% or 0.150 points to trade at 3.170 at the close. Meanwhile, St Barbara Ltd (AX:SBM) added 4.61% or 0.220 points to end at 4.990 and Healius Ltd (AX:HLS) was up 4.56% or 0.120 points to 2.750 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Speedcast International Ltd (AX:SDA), which fell 5.76% or 0.170 points to trade at 2.780 at the close. Automotive Group Holdings Ltd (AX:AHG) declined 5.28% or 0.080 points to end at 1.435 and Emeco Holdings Ltd (AX:EHL) was down 4.53% or 0.090 points to 1.895.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 619 to 415 and 286 ended unchanged.
Shares in Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (AX:SAR) rose to all time highs; rising 4.97% or 0.150 to 3.170. Shares in Emeco Holdings Ltd (AX:EHL) fell to 52-week lows; losing 4.53% or 0.090 to 1.895.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 0.28% to 18.624.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.19% or 2.45 to $1297.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February rose 0.53% or 0.25 to hit $47.34 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 0.39% or 0.22 to trade at $56.17 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.21% to 0.7020, while AUD/JPY rose 0.79% to 76.00.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.09% at 95.963.
