Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Gold, Telecoms Services and Healthcare sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.09%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Vocus Group Ltd (AX:VOC), which rose 20.80% or 0.595 points to trade at 3.455 at the close. Meanwhile, Resolute Mining Ltd (AX:RSG) added 8.33% or 0.095 points to end at 1.235 and Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AX:WHC) was up 5.23% or 0.135 points to 2.715 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Sky Network Television Ltd. (AX:SKT), which fell 3.77% or 0.125 points to trade at 3.195 at the close. Virtus Health Ltd (AX:VRT) declined 3.62% or 0.205 points to end at 5.465 and Janus Henderson Group PLC DRC (AX:HGG) was down 2.90% or 1.265 points to 42.395.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 558 to 529 and 375 ended unchanged.
Shares in Sky Network Television Ltd. (AX:SKT) fell to 5-year lows; losing 3.77% or 0.125 to 3.195.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 3.75% to 13.313.
Gold Futures for August delivery was down 0.23% or 2.97 to $1294.53 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 0.35% or 0.17 to hit $48.02 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.34% or 0.17 to trade at $49.95 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.44% to 0.7540, while AUD/JPY rose 0.55% to 82.57.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.09% at 96.59.