Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Gold, A-REITs and Consumer Staples sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.21%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were A2 Milk Company Ltd (AX:A2M), which rose 6.27% or 0.245 points to trade at 4.155 at the close. Meanwhile, Seven Group Holdings Ltd (AX:SVW) added 6.23% or 0.710 points to end at 12.110 and St Barbara Ltd (AX:SBM) was up 5.92% or 0.155 points to 2.775 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Bluescope Steel Ltd (AX:BSL), which fell 3.72% or 0.510 points to trade at 13.190 at the close. Independence Group NL (AX:IGO) declined 3.47% or 0.110 points to end at 3.060 and IPH Ltd (AX:IPH) was down 3.36% or 0.160 points to 4.600.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 634 to 502 and 349 ended unchanged.
Shares in A2 Milk Company Ltd (AX:A2M) rose to all time highs; rising 6.27% or 0.245 to 4.155. Shares in Seven Group Holdings Ltd (AX:SVW) rose to all time highs; up 6.23% or 0.710 to 12.110.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 2.88% to 12.068.
Gold Futures for August delivery was up 1.13% or 14.09 to $1263.49 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September fell 0.18% or 0.09 to hit $48.66 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract fell 0.20% or 0.10 to trade at $50.87 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.52% to 0.8047, while AUD/JPY rose 0.39% to 89.35.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.05% at 93.24.