The bluest of the blue chips in the resource sector, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, both bucked the trend of the general market to close in the green today. The benchmark All Ordinaries index eased during the day to close half a per cent weaker.
Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) led just a handful of gainers among the top 20 resource stocks today, rising 1.5% to $66.63, followed by Alumina Limited (ASX: AWC) which increased 1% to $1.465.
Other gainers included BHP Billiton (ASX: BHP), with a 0.87% increase to $37.16, Oil Search (ASX: OSH), up 0.5% to $6.04 and Aurora Oil & Gas (ASX: AUT), which rose 0.34% to $2.91.
Macarthur Coal (ASX: MCC) limped into the green, rising 0.06% to $16.20.
At the other end, Paladin Energy (ASX: PDN) led the way down, falling 4.6% to $1.535, while Iluka (ASX: ILU) fell 3.4% and Atlas Iron (ASX: AGO) slid 2.5% to $3.11.
Medusa Mining (ASX: MML) and Eastern Star Gas (ASX: ESG) were both bitten, dropping just over 1.7% each to $6.69 and $0.845 respectively.
OZ Minerals (ASX: OZL) fell 1.5% to $11.20, while Aston Resources (ASX: AZT) and Fortescue Metals Group (ASX: FMG) both fell 1.3%, Aston landing at $10.34 and Fortescue down to $4.55.
Yesterday’s darling Lynas Resources (ASX: LYC) failed to rally further investor support, dropping 1.2% to $1.20, and PanAust (ASX: PNA) fell almost 1% to $3.04.
Dropping less than 1% were Santos Oil & Gas (ASX: STO) down 0.8% to $12.42, Whitehaven Coal (ASX: WHC) down 0.5% to $5.77, and Woodside Petroleum (ASX: WPL) down 0.3% to $34.45.
Finally, Newcrest Mining (ASX: NCM) just scraped in under the line, falling 0.01% to $33.24.