The S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has clawed back from steep losses this morning to finish the day down just 0.1%.
Overnight the Dow Jones was up 0.82%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.79%, following soothing words from US Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen that the Fed stood ready to continue supporting the US economy.
In local economic news, all eyes were on the release this afternoon of the statement from the Reserve Bank of Australia which held the cash rate unchanged at 2.5%.
Sectors were mostly lower, with information technology and materials the only sectors to finish the session higher, registering gains of 1.23% and 0.77% respectively.
Here are the top five best performing stocks in the index today:
- Ainsworth Game Technology Limited (ASX: AGI) jumped 5.2% to $3.83
- Aquila Resources Limited (ASX: AQA) added 3.8% to $2.43
- Orora Ltd (ASX: ORA) climbed 3.3% to $1.42
- Alumina Limited (ASX: AWC) rose 2.9% to $1.23
- Sirtex Medical Limited (ASX: SRX) gained 2.4% to $15.90
These stocks were the losers on the day:
- Southern Cross Media Group Ltd (ASX: SXL) sunk 7.3% to $1.27
- Ten Network Holdings Limited (ASX: TEN) slumped 7.3% to 25.5 cents
- Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) fell 6.2% to $1.06
- Resolute Mining Limited (ASX: RSG) lost 5.9% to 56 cents
- Beadell Resources Ltd (ASX: BDR) dropped 5.8% to 57 cents
