Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the IT, Healthcare and Telecoms Services sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.07%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Super Retail Group Ltd (AX:SUL), which rose 5.66% or 0.430 points to trade at 8.030 at the close. Meanwhile, Estia Health Ltd (AX:EHE) added 4.67% or 0.120 points to end at 2.690 and Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (AX:HVN) was up 3.61% or 0.140 points to 4.020 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Eclipx Group Ltd (AX:ECX), which fell 4.48% or 0.030 points to trade at 0.640 at the close. Evolution Mining Ltd (AX:EVN) declined 3.43% or 0.130 points to end at 3.660 and Ardent Leisure Ltd (AX:ALG) was down 3.40% or 0.040 points to 1.135.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 610 to 508 and 392 ended unchanged.
Shares in Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (AX:HVN) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 3.61% or 0.140 to 4.020. Shares in Ardent Leisure Ltd (AX:ALG) fell to 5-year lows; falling 3.40% or 0.040 to 1.135.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 0.46% to 11.865.
Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.08% or 1.05 to $1294.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 0.67% or 0.40 to hit $59.70 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract rose 0.64% or 0.43 to trade at $67.53 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.28% to 0.7095, while AUD/JPY rose 0.40% to 78.57.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.03% at 96.738.