Australian shares closed lower on Monday, with losses concentrated in the Financials, Consumer Discretionary and A-REITs segments dragging the wider market down.
At the Sydney close the S&P/ASX 200 was 0.33% weaker. The index level was recorded at 9,232.60, down 31.00 points from the prior close.
Top and bottom movers
Leading the winners on the S&P/ASX 200 was CAR Group Ltd (ASX:CAR), which jumped 9.44% - an increase of 2.55 points - to finish the day at 29.57. Seek Ltd (ASX:SEK) posted a 7.00% gain, rising 1.08 points to close at 16.50. Mesoblast Ltd (ASX:MSB) also advanced, up 5.83% or 0.13 points to end the session at 2.36.
On the downside, Westpac Banking Corp (ASX:WBC) was the heaviest decliner, sliding 5.43% or 2.06 points to close at 35.87. Beach Energy Ltd (ASX:BPT) fell 4.62% or 0.04 points to 0.82, and Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX:TPW) dropped 4.46% or 0.27 points to finish at 5.78.
Beach Energy's share price moved to 5-year lows during the session, with the stock losing 4.62% to reach 0.82 at the close.
Market breadth and volatility
On the Sydney Stock Exchange rising stocks outnumbered decliners by 620 to 493, while 380 stocks finished unchanged. The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, increased 2.43% to 10.48.
Commodities and energy
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for December delivery rose 0.17% - up 7.56 - to $4,407.26 a troy ounce. Crude oil for September delivery slipped 0.27% or 0.21 to $77.97 a barrel. The October Brent oil contract eased 0.10% or 0.08 to trade at $83.47 a barrel.
Currencies and indexes
The Australian dollar was essentially flat against the US dollar, with AUD/USD unchanged at 0.71. AUD/JPY strengthened by 0.19% to 111.95. The US Dollar Index Futures ticked up 0.14% to 99.57.
Overall, Monday's session delivered a modest decline for the benchmark as specific sector pressures and individual stock swings shaped the day's outcome.