Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 faced a downturn on Tuesday, marked by losses in the Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples, and Utilities sectors, resulting in a 0.15% decline at the close in Sydney.
Healius Ltd (ASX:HLS) emerged as the top performer on the S&P/ASX 200, experiencing a remarkable 15.56% increase, equivalent to 0.18 points, closing at 1.30. Iress Ltd (ASX:IRE) also witnessed a substantial rise of 12.50%, adding 1.00 points to close at 9.00, while St Barbara Ltd (ASX:SBM) registered a gain of 12.50%, or 0.02 points, reaching 0.18 in late trade.
On the flip side, Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX:PLS) led the decliners, falling by 6.69% or 0.29 points to trade at 4.11. IGO Ltd (ASX:IGO) experienced a 5.02% decline, losing 0.41 points to end at 7.75, and Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:LYC) was down by 4.81%, shedding 0.30 points to close at 5.94.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange, with 649 decliners, 516 advancers, and 342 remaining unchanged.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, measuring the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, experienced a 1.05% decrease, settling at 11.06.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for April delivery dipped by 0.12% or 2.55 to $2,123.75 per troy ounce. Meanwhile, Crude oil for April delivery fell by 0.32% or 0.25, closing at $78.49 a barrel, and the May Brent oil contract declined by 0.19% or 0.16, reaching $82.64 a barrel.
In the currency market, AUD/USD remained unchanged at 0.65, while AUD/JPY fell by 0.18% to 97.81. The US Dollar Index Futures edged up by 0.04%, reaching 103.82.