Australian stocks closed lower on Monday, with the S&P/ASX 200 index down 0.22%, dragged by losses in the gold, energy, and financials sectors. Among the top performers, A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX:A2M) surged 19.66% to close at 7.12. Bluescope Steel Ltd (ASX:BSL) also saw strong gains, rising 12.98% to hit a 3-year high of 25.25, while Zip Co Ltd (ASX:ZIP) climbed 7.93% to end at 2.45.
On the downside, Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX:SUNDD) led the session’s losses, plunging 20.99% to close at 18.50. Bendigo And Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX:BEN) fell 15.28% to 11.37, and AMP Ltd (ASX:AMP) dropped 4.70% to finish at 1.42.
The market breadth was relatively balanced, with 552 stocks advancing and 531 declining on the Sydney Stock Exchange, while 463 remained unchanged.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, increased 2.63% to 10.81, signaling slightly heightened market uncertainty.
In commodities, Gold futures for April delivery rose 0.34% to $2,910.70 per troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery edged up 0.04% to $70.74 a barrel, and Brent oil for April delivery gained 0.28% to $74.95 a barrel.