Title: Australia stocks lower at close of trade; S&P/ASX 200 down 1.56%

Sep 21, 2022 03:45AM ET

By: AnalysisWatch

Australia stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Metals & Mining, Materials and Utilities sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.56% to hit a new 1-month low.

The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Washington H Soul Pattinson&Co Ltd, which rose 4.96% or 1.28 points to trade at 27.10 at the close. Meanwhile, Viva Energy Group Ltd added 4.56% or 0.12 points to end at 2.75 and Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX:WHC) was up 3.82% or 0.33 points to 8.96 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Nuix Ltd, which fell 7.59% or 0.06 points to trade at 0.67 at the close. Zip Co Ltd declined 5.81% or 0.05 points to end at 0.73 and Champion Iron Ltd was down 5.56% or 0.30 points to 5.10.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 920 to 387 and 395 ended unchanged.

Shares in Whitehaven Coal Ltd rose to all-time highs; gaining 3.82% or 0.33 to 8.96.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 7.84% to 17.50 a new 1-month high.

Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.54% or 9.05 to $1,680.15 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November rose 3.20% or 2.69 to hit $86.63 a barrel, while the November Brent oil contract rose 3.14% or 2.85 to trade at $93.47 a barrel.

AUD/USD was unchanged 0.26% to 0.67, while AUD/JPY fell 0.24% to 95.89.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.45% at 110.44.