Australia’s stock market closed lower on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 dropping 1.15% to a new one-month low. Losses were driven by the A-REITs, Healthcare, and Financials sectors. Among the top performers, Nanosonics Ltd (ASX:NAN) surged 23.70% to 4.28, reaching a 52-week high. Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1) jumped 17.19% to close at 11.18, while Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX:WHC) climbed 9.06% to 5.66.
On the flip side, Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX:SUL) was the worst performer, falling 12.60% to 14.15. Skycity Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX:SKC) declined 12.17% to 1.16, hitting a 5-year low, and Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX:MFG) slid 10.30% to 9.06.
Market breadth was negative, with 624 stocks declining, 414 advancing, and 413 remaining unchanged. The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, a measure of market volatility, rose 8.08% to 11.94.
In commodities, Gold Futures for April delivery gained 0.87% to $2,961.50 per troy ounce, while Crude oil for April delivery slipped 0.40% to $71.81 a barrel. The April Brent oil contract was also down, falling 0.32% to $75.80 a barrel.