Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Healthcare, Gold and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.68%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Resmed Inc DRC (ASX:RMD), which rose 10.86% or 2.020 points to trade at 20.620 at the close. Meanwhile, Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX:RSG) added 9.62% or 0.115 points to end at 1.310 and Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:CUV) was up 5.82% or 1.770 points to 32.170 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX:CWY), which fell 13.15% or 0.280 points to trade at 1.850 at the close. GWA Group Ltd (ASX:GWA) declined 3.86% or 0.120 points to end at 2.990 and Sandfire Resources NL (ASX:SFR) was down 3.47% or 0.210 points to 5.850.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 625 to 495 and 334 ended unchanged.
Shares in Resmed Inc DRC (ASX:RMD) rose to all time highs; up 10.86% or 2.020 to 20.620.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 5.93% to 11.465 a new 1-month low.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.25% or 3.75 to $1508.45 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December fell 0.39% or 0.22 to hit $56.01 a barrel, while the December Brent oil contract fell 0.32% or 0.20 to trade at $61.47 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.13% to 0.6826, while AUD/JPY rose 0.18% to 74.17.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.03% at 97.433.