S&P/ASX 200 slips 0.11% as Australian equities end lower

Australian equities ended Wednesday's trading session lower, as losses in the Healthcare, Consumer Discretionary, and Gold sectors pulled the broader market down.

At the close of trading in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.11%, settling at a new one-month low.

Among the S&P/ASX 200's top performers, Austal Ltd (ASX:ASB) advanced 7.47%, or 0.33 points, to close at 4.68. Capstone Copper Corp DRC (ASX:CSC) gained 5.67%, or 0.86 points, to finish at 16.03, while Metrics Master Income Trust Unit (ASX:MXT) added 3.12%, or 0.06 points, to 1.82 in late trading.

The session's worst performers included Seek Ltd (ASX:SEK), which fell 5.38%, or 0.73 points, to 12.83 at the close. PEXA Group Ltd (ASX:PXA) declined 5.37%, or 0.40 points, to 7.05, while AP Eagers Ltd (ASX:APE) dropped 5.25%, or 1.09 points, to 19.66.

On the Sydney Stock Exchange, declining issues surpassed advancing ones by 632 to 476, while 372 stocks ended the day unchanged.

AP Eagers Ltd (ASX:APE) shares dropped to a 52-week low, trading down 5.25%, or 1.09 points, at 19.66.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, an indicator of implied volatility for options on the S&P/ASX 200, declined 1.81% to 11.75.

Gold futures for December delivery gained 0.06%, or $2.76, to reach $4,441.76 per troy ounce. In other commodities, crude oil for October delivery rose 1.38%, or $1.28, to $94.31 a barrel, while November Brent crude climbed 1.53%, or $1.50, to $99.42 a barrel.

The AUD/USD pair closed at 0.72, reflecting a 0.19% change, while AUD/JPY dropped 0.34% to 110.76.

The U.S. Dollar Index futures slipped 0.13%, ending the session at 98.66.