Australian stocks finished the trading day with modest gains on Tuesday, as strength in gold and broader materials industries helped lift the benchmark index.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.36%.
Top movers
- Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:TLX) led gains on the index, rising 6.56% or 0.72 points to close at 11.70.
- Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX:WGX) added 4.87% or 0.29 points to finish at 6.24.
- Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX:GMD) was up 4.01% or 0.24 points to 6.23 in late trade.
Largest decliners
- Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX:TPW) fell 7.59% or 0.53 points to end at 6.45, dropping to 52-week lows.
- New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX:NHC) declined 6.42% or 0.34 points to close at 4.96.
- Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX:YAL) lost 4.90% or 0.39 points to finish at 7.57.
Market breadth on the Sydney exchange was positive: 623 stocks rose, 530 fell and 397 were unchanged.
Volatility and sentiment
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, declined 10.11% to 15.86, signaling lower implied market volatility at the close.
Commodities and energy
Precious metals and energy contracts moved higher during the session. Gold Futures for April delivery were up 0.76% or 38.00 to $5,040.20 a troy ounce. In oil markets, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 2.50% or 2.31 to $94.77 a barrel, while the May Brent contract advanced 2.50% or 2.51 to trade at $102.72 a barrel.
Currency and US dollar
In FX markets, AUD/USD was unchanged 0.20% to 0.71, while AUD/JPY rose 0.28% to 112.86. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.19% at 99.66.
Market implications
The session’s gains were concentrated in sectors tied to raw materials and precious metals, supporting miners and related names. Conversely, retail and coal-linked stocks were among the weakest performers, with several names posting notable declines. Volatility measures moderated as option-implied risk fell.
Note: Some stocks posted significant single-session moves that affected sector performance; individual company fundamentals were not detailed in this report.