The S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has closed sharply lower shedding 1.75%. The broad based selling followed Wall Street which posted significant falls overnight where the Dow Jones was down 2.1% and the S&P 500 lost 2.3%.
All sectors fell with the exception of the gold sector which posted a gain of 2.6%. While the focus was on overseas leads today, on the local economic front the Reserve Bank of Australia announced its decision to hold rates steady at 2.5%.
Here are the top five best performing stocks in the index today.
- REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) gained 5% to $43.78
- Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) closed up 4.7% to $10.16
- Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) rose 4.1% to 64 cents
- Resolute Mining Limited (ASX: RSG) added 2% to 52 cents
- Sirius Resources N.L. (ASX: SIR) climbed 1.9% to $2.15
These stocks were the losers on the day.
- Acrux Limited (ASX: ACR) dropped 10.3% to $2.08
- Energy World Corporation Ltd (ASX: EWC) fell 9.7% to 32.5 cents
- Mount Gibson Iron Limited (ASX: MGX) closed down 6.6% to 99 cents
- Ten Network Holdings Limited (ASX: TEN) slipped 5.4% to 35 cents
- Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND) lost 5.4% to $14.68