Australia's stock market closed slightly in the red on Friday, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 slipping 0.01% by the time trading ended in Sydney.
At the close the S&P/ASX 200 was recorded at 8,731.20, down 1.20 points (-0.01%) from the prior session. Sector performance was uneven, with declines in A-REITs, Energy and Consumer Staples cited as the main drags on the index.
The session's top performers on the S&P/ASX 200 included IperionX Limited (ASX:IPX), which rose 7.35% or 0.20 points to finish at 2.92. Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1) gained 7.08% or 1.22 points to close at 18.45, while Mercury NZ Ltd (ASX:MCY) advanced 5.66% or 0.30 points to end the day at 5.60.
Among the weakest stocks were Stanmore Coal (ASX:SMR), which fell 4.32% or 0.12 points to 2.66; Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX:NEC), down 3.77% or 0.03 points to 0.77; and Xero Ltd (ASX:XRO), which lost 3.64% or 2.38 points to finish at 63.07.
On the breadth of trading, advancers outnumbered decliners: 646 stocks rose versus 453 that fell, while 379 were unchanged at the close.
Nine Entertainment's shares moved to an all-time low intraday, with the stock falling 3.77% to 0.77 by the close.
Market volatility, as measured by the S&P/ASX 200 VIX, eased during the session, with the VIX down 5.34% to 11.94.
Commodities displayed mixed moves. Gold futures for December delivery were up 0.75% or 33.10 to $4,432.80 a troy ounce. Crude oil prices declined: the October West Texas Intermediate contract fell 1.61% or 1.64 to $100.27 a barrel, and the November Brent contract dropped 1.88% or 1.97 to $102.85 a barrel.
Foreign exchange rates showed modest movement. AUD/USD was reported unchanged 0.18% to 0.71, while AUD/JPY rose 0.92% to 111.91. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.05% at 100.03.
The report also noted an analytical tool referenced for investors: a Fair Value calculator described as using a mix of 17 valuation models to assess stocks such as MCY.
Index snapshot
AXJO -0.01% | GC +0.74% | LCO -2.23% | CL -1.83% | AXVI -5.34% | MCY +5.66% | XRO -3.64% | SMR -4.32% | MP1 +7.08% | NEC -3.77% | IPX +7.35%