Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Gold, A-REITs and Consumer Staples sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.03% to hit a new 52-week high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (AX:SAR), which rose 5.34% or 0.055 points to trade at 1.085 at the close. Meanwhile, Australian Agricultural Company Ltd (AX:AAC) added 2.91% or 0.048 points to end at 1.677 and Spark New Zealand Ltd (AX:SPK) was up 2.62% or 0.085 points to 3.325 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Telstra Corporation Ltd. (AX:TLS), which fell 7.46% or 0.340 points to trade at 4.220 at the close. Vocus Fpo (AX:VOC) declined 4.20% or 0.150 points to end at 3.420 and Galaxy Resources Ltd (AX:GXY) was down 3.41% or 0.015 points to 0.425.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 568 to 523 and 389 ended unchanged.
Shares in Telstra Corporation Ltd. (AX:TLS) fell to 3-years lows; down 7.46% or 0.340 to 4.220. Shares in Vocus Fpo (AX:VOC) fell to 3-years lows; down 4.20% or 0.150 to 3.420.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 2.33% to 12.963 a new 1-month high.
Gold Futures for June delivery was up 0.14% or 1.80 to $1276.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 0.17% or 0.09 to hit $53.49 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract rose 0.21% or 0.12 to trade at $56.35 a barrel.
AUD/USD was unchanged 0.00% to 0.7499, while AUD/JPY fell 0.09% to 82.13.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.03% at 100.60.