Australia stocks lower at close of trade; S&P/ASX 200 down 2.08%

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At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 2.08% to hit a new 1-month low.

The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Virgin Money PLC (ASX:VUK), which rose 2.32% or 0.07 points to trade at 3.09 at the close. Meanwhile, Unibail Rodamco Westfield (ASX:URW) added 2.14% or 0.11 points to end at 5.24 and Nufarm Ltd (ASX:NUF) was up 1.92% or 0.13 points to 6.89 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were EML Payments Ltd (ASX:EML), which fell 38.56% or 1.04 points to trade at 1.67 at the close. Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX:WGX) declined 11.14% or 0.19 points to end at 1.55 and Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX:MIN) was down 9.93% or 6.03 points to 54.67.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 1226 to 321 and 339 ended unchanged.

Shares in EML Payments Ltd (ASX:EML) fell to 52-week lows; down 38.56% or 1.04 to 1.67. Shares in Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX:WGX) fell to 52-week lows; losing 11.14% or 0.19 to 1.55. Shares in Nufarm Ltd (ASX:NUF) rose to 3-years highs; up 1.92% or 0.13 to 6.89.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 12.99% to 16.33 a new 1-month high.

Gold Futures for June delivery was up 0.16% or 3.00 to $1,899.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June fell 0.32% or 0.32 to hit $98.22 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract fell 0.10% or 0.10 to trade at $102.06 a barrel.

AUD/USD was unchanged 0.07% to 0.72, while AUD/JPY fell 0.16% to 91.81.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.16% at 101.93.