Key Points:
- Australian stocks closed lower, with losses in the Consumer Staples, Consumer Discretionary, and A-REITs sectors. The S&P/ASX 200 Index declined by 0.33%.
- Regis Resources Ltd (ASX:RRL), IPH Ltd (ASX:IPH), and Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX:NWL) were among the top performers.
- Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX:SGR), Domino’S Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX:DMP), and Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) were among the worst performers.
- 600 stocks recorded gains, 578 stocks experienced losses, and 457 stocks remained unchanged. The S&P/ASX 200 VIX was down 0.89%.
Australian stocks ended the week downward as losses in the Consumer Staples, Consumer Discretionary, and A-REITs sectors led shares lower. At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.33%, reflecting the market’s subdued performance.
Among the top performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Regis Resources Ltd (ASX:RRL), which rose 6.76% or 0.14 points to trade at 2.21 at the close. IPH Ltd (ASX:IPH) added 5.25% or 0.31 points to end at 6.21, and Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX:NWL) was up 4.57% or 0.88 points to 20.14 in late trade.
On the other hand, the worst performers of the session included Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX:SGR), which fell 9.09% or 0.05 points to trade at 0.51 at the close. Furthermore, Domino’S Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX:DMP) declined 7.51% or 3.26 points to end at 40.17, and Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) was down 3.59% or 0.03 points to 0.81.
Rising stocks slightly outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange, with 600 stocks recording gains, 578 stocks experiencing losses, and 457 stocks remaining unchanged. The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 0.89% to 10.77, indicating a slightly calmer market sentiment.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for June delivery rose by 1.51% to $2,408.45 a troy ounce, signaling investor interest in safe-haven assets amidst market uncertainty. Meanwhile, Crude oil for delivery in May rose by 0.99% to hit $85.86 a barrel, and the June Brent oil contract increased by 0.82% to trade at $90.48 a barrel.
AUD/USD remained relatively unchanged in currency markets, rising by 0.28% to 0.65, while AUD/JPY fell by 0.34% to 99.86. The US Dollar Index Futures gained by 0.25% to 105.33, reflecting strength in the US dollar against a basket of major currencies.
