Australia stocks lower at close of trade; S&P/ASX 200 down 0.77%

Australian stocks concluded trading lower on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 index slipping 0.77%, according to Reuters. The decline was driven by losses in Materials, Metals & Mining, and Resources sectors, causing shares to fall across the board. The S&P/ASX 200 index ended the day at 5,641.85 points, marking a 0.77% decrease from its previous close.

Despite the overall downturn, some stocks managed to outperform the market. ASX Ltd (ASX:ASX) rose by 3.86% or 2.25 points, closing at 60.60, while Lottery Corporation Ltd (ASX:TLC) added 3.56% or 0.17 points, trading at 4.95. Xero Ltd (ASX:XRO) also saw a gain of 3.10% or 1.74 points, finishing at 57.84.

Notably, Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX:LOV) was the biggest loser of the session, falling 9.05% or 2.24 points to 22.47. Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1) and Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX:PDN) also experienced declines, closing at 19.28 and 8.69 respectively.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, a measure of implied volatility for the index, increased by 2.51% to 11.14. Meanwhile, gold futures for December delivery rose by 0.24% to $4,150.65 per troy ounce. Crude oil for November delivery gained 2.24% to $90.26 per barrel, and December Brent oil futures climbed 2.53% to $102.74.

Currency markets showed minimal change, with the AUD/USD exchange rate remaining steady at 0.70, and AUD/JPY slipping slightly by 0.01% to 110.05. US Dollar Index Futures edged up by 0.04% to 102.05.