Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Energy, Resources and Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.34% to hit a new 3-month high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Beach Energy Ltd (ASX:BPT), which rose 6.67% or 0.060 points to trade at 0.960 at the close. Meanwhile, Nine Ent Fpo (ASX:NEC) added 6.63% or 0.11 points to end at 1.77 and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) was up 5.83% or 0.130 points to 2.360 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Beadell Resources Ltd (ASX:BDR), which fell 9.52% or 0.030 points to trade at 0.285 at the close. Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX:EVN) declined 9.09% or 0.090 points to end at 0.900 and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX:NST) was down 7.95% or 0.155 points to 1.795.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 329 to 262 and 23 ended unchanged.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 0.84% to 14.333.
Gold for April delivery was up 0.46% or 5.80 to $1261.70 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude Oil for delivery in March rose 0.22% or 0.10 to hit $44.63 a barrel, while the March Brent Oil contract fell 0.07% or 0.04 to trade at $49.02 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.40% to 0.7791, while AUD/JPY fell 0.04% to 91.78.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.21% at 94.76.