Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Metals & Mining, Materials and Industrials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.10%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Bluescope Steel Ltd (AX:BSL), which rose 3.98% or 0.460 points to trade at 12.010 at the close. Meanwhile, Resolute Mining Ltd (AX:RSG) added 3.67% or 0.045 points to end at 1.270 and Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AX:WHC) was up 3.52% or 0.095 points to 2.795 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Regis Healthcare Ltd (AX:REG), which fell 4.78% or 0.200 points to trade at 3.980 at the close. Aconex Ltd (AX:ACX) declined 4.55% or 0.185 points to end at 3.885 and Santos Ltd (AX:STO) was down 4.01% or 0.130 points to 3.110.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 559 to 517 and 387 ended unchanged.
Shares in Santos Ltd (AX:STO) fell to 52-week lows; down 4.01% or 0.130 to 3.110.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 3.47% to 12.530.
Gold Futures for August delivery was down 0.22% or 2.87 to $1276.63 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 0.07% or 0.03 to hit $45.61 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.04% or 0.02 to trade at $47.84 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.20% to 0.7534, while AUD/JPY unchanged 0.00% to 83.03.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.33% at 97.27.