Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Gold, Consumer Discretionary and Energy sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.10% to hit a new 3-month high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Medusa Mining Ltd (ASX:MML), which rose 10.19% or 0.080 points to trade at 0.865 at the close. Meanwhile, BC Iron Ltd (ASX:BCI) added 8.14% or 0.035 points to end at 0.465 and Crown Ltd (ASX:CWN) was up 7.54% or 0.96 points to 13.70 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Bradken Ltd (ASX:BKN), which fell 35.77% or 1.470 points to trade at 2.640 at the close. Mermaid Marine Australia Ltd (ASX:MRM) declined 8.74% or 0.080 points to end at 0.835 and Seven Group Holdings Ltd (ASX:SVW) was down 5.11% or 0.290 points to 5.380.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 294 to 276 and 41 ended unchanged.
Shares in Bradken Ltd (ASX:BKN) fell to 5-year lows; down 35.77% or 1.470 to 2.640. Shares in Mermaid Marine Australia Ltd (ASX:MRM) fell to 3-year lows; losing 8.74% or 0.080 to 0.835.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 1.04% to 14.468.
Gold for April delivery was down 0.04% or 0.50 to $1292.40 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude Oil for delivery in March fell 1.46% or 0.68 to hit $45.55 a barrel, while the March Brent Oil contract fell 0.11% or 0.06 to trade at $49.03 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.81% to 0.8000, while AUD/JPY rose 1.02% to 94.47.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.19% at 94.44.