Oil refiner Viva Energy Group (ASX:VEA) and resources consultancy Worley (ASX:WOR) are the bottom-performing stocks on the S&P/ASX 200 index today, which dropped by 0.29% to 8,928.7 points.
Viva’s share price decreased by 6.7% to $2.36, while Worley was down by 4.4% to $11.30 per unit in the first hour of the Australian Securities Exchange opening for trade.
Critical minerals company Terrain Minerals (ASX:TMX) dwindled by 20% to $0.006 per share, while gold explorer and developer Pacgold (ASX:PGO) reduced by 9.09% to $0.10 per unit.
The index declined after enjoying three days of gains. On 14 April the index rose by 0.34% to 8,930 points. On 15 April the index rose by 0.15% to 8,984.5 points. On 16 April the index rose by 0.15% to 8,984.5 points. On 17 April the index dropped by 0.29% to 8,928.7 points.
“Over the last five days the index is virtually unchanged but is currently 3.13% below its 52-week high,” the ASX markets website says.
As Mining.com.au previously reported, the index reported a third year of “positive returns” during 2025 despite “some concerns about the state of the world”.
“Big option trades using longer-dated contracts we found in January appear to be looking for continuation of this upward trend in 2026,” the ASX says.
Analysts expect share markets to have a positive outlook despite short-term pain.
“Markets, at least the equity market, seem [to be] pretty optimistic that the [Iran] ceasefire is going to hold, maybe it will be extended in that there might eventually be a peace deal,” Capital.com Senior Market Analyst Kyle Rodda tells the Australian Associated Press.
“It could certainly be a sign of complacency again, in the market potentially mispricing the risk [but] that is the side of things that the traders are on,” he adds, according to the newswire agency.
Write to Richard Szabo at Mining.com.au
Images: Australian Securities Exchange via Facebook
