Market Overview#
Australia's stock market closed lower on Friday, with the S&P/ASX 200 index declining by 0.82%. This drop marks a new three-month low for the index, primarily driven by losses in the Materials, Metals & Mining, and Gold sectors.
Notable Gainers and Losers#
Among the biggest gainers on the S&P/ASX 200 were Stanmore Coal, which rose by 5.86%, ending at 2.71. Objective Corp Ltd followed with a 4.36% increase, closing at 12.20, and Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd saw a rise of 4.27%, finishing at 12.94.
On the other hand, the largest losers included Greatland Resources Ltd, which fell by 8.44% to 9.98, Alcoa Corp DRC, down 7.20% to 83.01, and Virgin Australia Holdings, which dropped 5.81% to 2.43. Overall, declining stocks outnumbered those that rose, with 662 stocks declining compared to 439 that gained, while 374 remained unchanged on the Sydney Stock Exchange.
Volatility and Commodities#
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, a measure of market volatility, decreased by 0.98% to 17.34. In commodities, Gold Futures for April delivery rose by 2.35%, reaching $4,713.71 per troy ounce. Conversely, Crude Oil for May delivery fell by 1.74% to $93.89 per barrel, while the May Brent oil contract decreased by 1.19%, trading at $107.36 per barrel.
Currency Movements#
In currency markets, the AUD/USD exchange rate remained relatively stable, changing by only 0.06% to 0.71. The AUD/JPY pair increased by 0.46% to 112.32. Additionally, the US Dollar Index Futures rose by 0.17% to 99.23.