Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Utilities, Consumer Staples and Gold sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.05%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Metcash Ltd (ASX:MTS), which rose 7.34% or 0.290 points to trade at 4.240 at the close. Meanwhile, Silver Lake Resources Ltd (ASX:SLR) added 4.55% or 0.070 points to end at 1.610 and APA Group (ASX:APA) was up 4.45% or 0.420 points to 9.850 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Zip Co Ltd (ASX:Z1P), which fell 10.14% or 0.49 points to trade at 4.34 at the close. Nearmap Ltd (ASX:NEA) declined 7.05% or 0.105 points to end at 1.385 and Pointsbet Holdings Ltd (ASX:PBH) was down 6.99% or 0.50 points to 6.65.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 1160 to 372 and 287 ended unchanged.
Shares in Zip Co Ltd (ASX:Z1P) fell to 52-week lows; losing 10.14% or 0.49 to 4.34. Shares in Nearmap Ltd (ASX:NEA) fell to 52-week lows; losing 7.05% or 0.105 to 1.385. Shares in Pointsbet Holdings Ltd (ASX:PBH) fell to 52-week lows; down 6.99% or 0.50 to 6.65.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 0.81% to 14.782.
Gold Futures for February delivery was down 0.07% or 1.30 to $1782.60 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 2.26% or 1.50 to hit $67.76 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 2.15% or 1.50 to trade at $71.38 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.21% to 0.7016, while AUD/JPY rose 0.63% to 79.38.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.24% at 96.340.