Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Telecoms Services, Metals & Mining and Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.05% to hit a new 3-months high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX:MFG), which rose 3.68% or 0.77 points to trade at 21.72 at the close. Meanwhile, Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX:BGA) added 3.19% or 0.17 points to end at 5.50 and Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX:NEC) was up 2.82% or 0.080 points to 2.920 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Idp Education Ltd (ASX:IEL), which fell 5.14% or 1.83 points to trade at 33.79 at the close. Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX:RMS) declined 4.11% or 0.065 points to end at 1.515 and Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (ASX:APT) was down 3.03% or 2.58 points to 82.50.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 734 to 638 and 411 ended unchanged.
Shares in Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (ASX:APT) fell to 52-week lows; falling 3.03% or 2.58 to 82.50.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 2.35% to 10.991.
Gold Futures for February delivery was down 0.49% or 8.80 to $1797.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February fell 0.25% or 0.19 to hit $76.37 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract fell 0.28% or 0.22 to trade at $78.99 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.10% to 0.7255, while AUD/JPY rose 0.22% to 83.54.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.16% at 96.080.