The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) ended the session in positive territory, but the materials sector was not along for the ride.
The S&P/ASX200 ended the session up 28.9 points, or 0.36%, at 7,997.1 points. Over the last five days the index has gained 2.28%, but is down 1.99% since the start of 2025.
Nine of the 11 sectors advanced by the closing bell. Energy was the best performing sector, gaining 1.48% by the end of the session and climbing 3.26% over the past five days.
Information technology jumped 1.4%, utilities climbed 1% and financial rose 0.26%.
However, materials retreated 0.56% in an otherwise positive market. This saw lithium miner Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR) finish in the red after dipping 4.43% to $0.54.
Gold miners Regis Resources (ASX:RRL), West African Resources (ASX:WAF) and Genesis Minerals (ASX:GMD) also retreated. Regis slipped 3.92% to $4.41, West African fell 3.72% to $2.33 and Genesis ended down 3.6% at $3.75.
Critical minerals producer Iluka Resources (ASX:ILU), however, shrugged off the pull of the broader materials sector to rise 5.24% to $4.02.
The S&P/ASX200 is Australia’s leading share market index and contains the top 200 ASX-listed companies in terms of market capitalisation, and accounts for about 80% of the country’s equity market. The index is designed to measure the performance of the 200 largest index-eligible stocks listed on the ASX by float-adjusted market capitalisation.
It is recognised as the institutional investable benchmark in the country.
Write to Angela East at Mining.com.au
Images: ASX & iStock
