Title: Australia stocks lower at close of trade; S&P/ASX 200 down 0.22%

Mar 21, 2022 03:45 AM ET

By: AnalysisWatch

Australian shares traded weaker after the close on Monday as declines in the gold, industrial and health care sectors drove shares lower.

The S & P/ASX 200 was down 0.22% at the close in Sydney.

EML Payments Ltd, up 6.10% or 0.15 points to close at 2.61 on the S&P/ASX 200, was the best performer of the session. Meanwhile, Westgold Resources Ltd gained 4.99%, or 0.10 points, to close at 2.00, while AP Eagers Ltd rose 3.35%, or 0.42 points, to 12.94 in late trade.

Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd was the worst performer, falling 4.93% or 0.98 points to close at 18.89 in late trade. Resolute Mining Ltd fell 4.41%, or 0.02 points, to close at 0.32, while Magellan Financial Group Ltd slipped 4.32%, or 0.68 points, to 15.06.

On the Sydney Stock Exchange, rising stocks outweighed falling ones by 713 to 700, and 376 ended unchanged.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, increased 6.74% to 16.54.

Gold futures for April delivery fell 0.21%, or $4.00, to $1,925.30 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodity trading, crude oil for May delivery rose 3.97%, or $4.09, to $107.18 a barrel, while the May contract for Brent oil rose 3.55%, or $3.83, to $111.76 a barrel.

The AUD/USD rate was unchanged at 0.74, while the AUD/JPY rate fell 0.25% to 88.14.

Futures on the US dollar index rose 0.04% to 98.27.