Falling oil prices have again weighed on the share market, although positive Chinese trade data helped to erase some of the damage.
Plunging oil prices and growing forecasts of further falls are causing uncertainty among investors and wreaking havoc on markets around the world, IG market strategist Stan Shamu said.
Local energy stocks continued their slide, with Woodside Petroleum down 63 cents at $35.72, Santos down eight cents at $7.21 and Oil Search 16 cents weaker at $7.14.
But Mr Shamu said lower oil prices will also deliver economic benefits, which may eventually have an influence on share trading.
News of a stronger trade balance for China, due to a rise in exports and smaller than expected drop in imports, boosted sentiment in afternoon trade, he added.
The big miners still closed lower, however, due to a weaker iron ore price.
BHP Billiton dropped 54 cents to $27.97, Rio Tinto shed $1.04 to $57.46 and Fortescue Metals lost 14 cents, or 5.2 per cent, to $2.55.
Gold miners continued to rise in line with the price of the precious metal, with Newcrest up 47 cents at $12.95, its highest price in about 16 months.
The major banks were slightly weaker, while Telstra gained seven cents to $6.11, another new decade-long high, and Qantas added two cents to $2.45.
KEY FACTS
* At the close on Tuesday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 18 points, or 0.33 per cent, at 5,404.7 points.
* The broader All Ordinaries index was down 17.4 points, or 0.32 per cent, at 5,382.1 points.
* The March share price index futures contract was 34 points lower at 5,351 points, with 22,322 contracts traded.
* National turnover was 1.46 billion securities worth $3.7 billion.
