The S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has posted a fall of 0.83% on Wednesday, more than wiping out yesterday's gains.
The sell-off on the ASX followed a negative lead from US markets overnight where the Dow Jones closed 0.78% lower, while the S&P 500 dropped 0.9%, following a string of company earnings reports which appeared to disappoint investors.
Locally, investor confidence also took a hit after the Australian Bureau of Statistics released retail spending figures which came in below analysts' forecasts.
All sectors ended in the red with falls of over 1% recorded in the materials and information technology sectors.
Here are the top five best performing stocks in the index today:
- Kathmandu Holdings Ltd (ASX: KMD) rallied 7.4% to $3.77
- Skilled Group Ltd. (ASX: SKE) gained 4.2% to $2.74
- Cover-More Group Ltd (ASX: CVO) climbed 4.1% to $2.29
- Horizon Oil Ltd (ASX: HZN) added 2.8% to 37 cents
- Downer EDI Limited (ASX: DOW) rose 2.4% to $5.20
These stocks were the losers on the day: