Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the A-REITs, Gold and Healthcare sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.60% to hit a new 5-year high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Nearmap Ltd (ASX:NEA), which rose 9.49% or 0.350 points to trade at 4.040 at the close. Meanwhile, Emeco Holdings Ltd (ASX:EHL) added 8.82% or 0.175 points to end at 2.160 and Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (ASX:APT) was up 4.93% or 1.000 points to 21.270 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Speedcast International Ltd (ASX:SDA), which fell 8.40% or 0.310 points to trade at 3.380 at the close. Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX:PLS) declined 6.30% or 0.040 points to end at 0.595 and Mcmillan Shakespeare Ltd (ASX:MMS) was down 6.07% or 0.810 points to 12.540.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 619 to 576 and 433 ended unchanged.
Shares in Nearmap Ltd (ASX:NEA) rose to all time highs; gaining 9.49% or 0.350 to 4.040.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 1.98% to 13.229 a new 1-month low.
Gold Futures for August delivery was up 0.50% or 6.65 to $1349.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 0.31% or 0.16 to hit $51.77 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.28% or 0.17 to trade at $60.77 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.19% to 0.6839, while AUD/JPY fell 0.44% to 74.06.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.10% at 96.955.