Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 ended Tuesday's session lower, slipping 0.06% as selling pressure in A-REITs, Consumer Staples and Healthcare outweighed pockets of strength elsewhere.
At the Sydney close the S&P/ASX 200 was at 8,724.40, down 5.00 points or 0.06% from the prior session.
Top performers
- Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX:NST) led the index, rising 13.78% or 2.55 points to finish at 21.06.
- Life360 Inc (ASX:360) added 12.62% or 2.57 points to close at 22.94.
- Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX:PME) gained 10.59% or 15.30 points to end the day at 159.76.
Lagging stocks
- TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX:TPG) was the heaviest loser, down 8.00% or 0.32 points to trade at 3.68 at the close.
- Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX:PDN) fell 6.11% or 0.69 points to finish at 10.61.
- Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX:DMP) dropped 5.69% or 1.00 points to close at 16.58.
Overall market breadth was negative: decliners outnumbered advancers by 708 to 447, while 401 stocks ended unchanged.
Notably, shares of TPG Telecom reached a five-year low during the session, reflecting the 8.00% decline that left the stock at 3.68.
Volatility and market indicators
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which reflects implied volatility on options tied to the benchmark, moved higher by 1.61% to 12.30.
Commodities and energy
Precious metals and oil exhibited mixed moves. Gold futures for August delivery were up 1.27% or 57.20 to $4,563.50 a troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for July delivery fell 1.11% or 1.02 to $91.14 a barrel, while the August Brent contract was down 1.02% or 0.97 to trade at $94.01 a barrel.
FX and broader market data
Currency markets showed modest movement: AUD/USD was recorded as unchanged 0.20% to 0.72, while AUD/JPY rose 0.18% to 114.54. The US Dollar Index Futures declined 0.13% to 99.02.
Tuesday's session was characterized by a handful of pronounced winners amid broader sector weakness and elevated implied volatility, leaving the S&P/ASX 200 marginally lower at the close.