Australia stocks lower at close of trade; S&P/ASX 200 down 0.16%

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At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.16%.

The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Bluescope Steel Ltd (ASX:BSL), which rose 4.09% or 0.860 points to trade at 21.910 at the close. Meanwhile, Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX:VEA) added 3.72% or 0.080 points to end at 2.230 and Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:CUV) was up 3.42% or 0.92 points to 27.79 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX:MFG), which fell 32.90% or 9.66 points to trade at 19.70 at the close. Cimic Group Ltd (ASX:CIM) declined 13.37% or 2.45 points to end at 15.88 and Nanosonics Ltd (ASX:NAN) was down 9.37% or 0.61 points to 5.90.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 970 to 445 and 365 ended unchanged.

Shares in Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX:MFG) fell to 5-year lows; losing 32.90% or 9.66 to 19.70. Shares in Cimic Group Ltd (ASX:CIM) fell to 52-week lows; falling 13.37% or 2.45 to 15.88.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 1.74% to 12.519.

Gold Futures for February delivery was down 0.29% or 5.25 to $1799.65 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 3.57% or 2.53 to hit $68.33 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract fell 2.92% or 2.15 to trade at $71.37 a barrel.

AUD/USD was down 0.51% to 0.7088, while AUD/JPY fell 0.72% to 80.40.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.01% at 96.560.