Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Healthcare, Consumer Staples and Consumer Discretionary 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 Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX:RHC), which rose 24.24% or 15.61 points to trade at 80.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX:PME) added 5.20% or 2.55 points to end at 51.61 and United Malt Group Ltd (ASX:UMG) was up 4.48% or 0.18 points to 4.20 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Hub24 Ltd (ASX:HUB), which fell 6.47% or 1.68 points to trade at 24.28 at the close. Regis Resources Ltd (ASX:RRL) declined 6.20% or 0.15 points to end at 2.27 and Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX:GOR) was down 4.06% or 0.07 points to 1.65.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 771 to 669 and 386 ended unchanged.
Shares in Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX:RHC) rose to 52-week highs; up 24.24% or 15.61 to 80.00.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 0.59% to 13.07.
Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.72% or 14.05 to $1,944.95 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June rose 1.44% or 1.47 to hit $103.52 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract rose 1.40% or 1.50 to trade at $108.75 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.75% to 0.74, while AUD/JPY rose 0.47% to 95.44.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.25% at 100.71.