Energy stocks were broadly weaker. Beach Energy slid 5.4% to A$1.86, Oil Search dropped 4.5% to A$6.65, Whitehaven Coal dipped 2.7% to A$3.63, AGL Energy fell 1.8% to A$20.22 and Santos lost 1.7% to A$6.92.
CIMIC Group plummeted 19% to A$37.09 after reporting weaker first -half profits in its construction business. A decline in the Hong Kong market was blamed for the weakness, which saw construction profits fall 15% in the first six months of the year.
Superloop shares fell 5.7% to A$0.99 after flagging uncertainty about achieving its guidance in the next 12 months. Despite saying there was insufficient certainty surrounding its the previous 2019-20 guidance, the company added it was not yet in a position to update this previous guidance.
Gold miners were firmer after the price of the precious metal rose firmly. Evolution Mining advanced 5.2% to $4.66, Saracen Mineral Holdings rose 5% to A$4.03, Northern Star Resources added 4.4% to close at $12.71, St Barbara firmed 2.7% to A$3.37, Resolute Mining climbed 4.2% to A$1.63, Regis Resources lifted 3.1% to A$6.08 and Newcrest Mining closed 1.3% higher at A$32.23.
Lendlease shares rose 4.8% to A$14.77 after landing a A$21 billion deal with Google that will see the global property player develop a large swathe of Google-held land in the San Francisco Bay area. The deal is the largest Lendlease has ever struck.
CURRENCY NEWS: The Australian dollar changed hands at 70.367 US cents, from 70.06 US cents on Wednesday.
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