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At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.27%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were United Malt Group Ltd (ASX:UMG), which rose 2.67% or 0.11 points to trade at 4.23 at the close. Meanwhile, Sims Metal Management Ltd (ASX:SGM) added 2.46% or 0.32 points to end at 13.32 and Abacus Property Group (ASX:ABP) was up 2.42% or 0.07 points to 2.96 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Growthpoint Properties Australia (ASX:GOZ), which fell 4.27% or 0.16 points to trade at 3.59 at the close. Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (ASX:APT) declined 3.65% or 4.46 points to end at 117.63 and Spark Infrastructure Group (ASX:SKI) was down 3.18% or 0.070 points to 2.130.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 668 to 554 and 374 ended unchanged.
Shares in Sims Metal Management Ltd (ASX:SGM) rose to 52-week highs; rising 2.46% or 0.32 to 13.32.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 3.29% to 13.613.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.02% or 0.40 to $1883.30 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February rose 0.75% or 0.36 to hit $48.36 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 0.62% or 0.32 to trade at $51.55 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.61% to 0.7651, while AUD/JPY rose 0.38% to 79.06.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.16% at 89.773.
