Australian equities ended the trading day in positive territory on Tuesday, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 up 0.25% at the close in Sydney. The session was led by advances in the Gold, Information Technology and Telecoms Services sectors, which underpinned the modest overall rise.
Top performers
- Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX:GDG) led gains on the index, rising 8.18% or 0.32 points to close at 4.23.
- Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX:TPW) added 7.07% or 0.47 points to finish at 7.12.
- Xero Ltd (ASX:XRO) climbed 6.81% or 4.80 points, ending the session at 75.30.
Largest decliners
- Sims Metal Management Ltd (ASX:SGM) posted the steepest loss, falling 6.30% or 1.22 points to 18.13 at the close.
- Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX:WHC) slipped 6.00% or 0.59 points to end at 9.25.
- New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX:NHC) declined 4.91% or 0.30 points to 5.81.
Market breadth was positive: 707 stocks finished higher versus 409 that fell, while 350 were unchanged on the Sydney exchange.
Volatility and indicators
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, the gauge of implied volatility for S&P/ASX 200 options, moved lower by 4.99% to 16.22, indicating a retreat in near-term implied market turbulence.
Commodities and energy
- Gold futures for June delivery rose 0.70% or 32.05 to $4,589.55 a troy ounce.
- Crude oil for May delivery eased 0.03% or 0.03 to $102.85 a barrel.
- The June Brent contract fell 0.05% or 0.05 to trade at $107.34 a barrel.
Foreign exchange and dollar measures
- AUD/USD was effectively unchanged, moving 0.06% to 0.68.
- AUD/JPY declined 0.16% to 109.29.
- The US Dollar Index Futures eased 0.06% to 100.30.
Overall, the trading day featured a modest advance in the benchmark index supported by a handful of strong individual stock performances, mixed commodity reactions and subdued implied volatility.
Note: All price and percentage moves refer to the close in Sydney on Tuesday.