Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Energy, Resources and IT sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.16%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Santos Ltd (AX:STO), which rose 13.24% or 0.580 points to trade at 4.960 at the close. Meanwhile, Fairfax Media Ltd (AX:FXJ) added 9.14% or 0.062 points to end at 0.740 and Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (AX:HVN) was up 4.24% or 0.160 points to 3.930 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were St Barbara Ltd (AX:SBM), which fell 3.35% or 0.105 points to trade at 3.025 at the close. Orocobre Ltd (AX:ORE) declined 2.89% or 0.175 points to end at 5.885 and Regis Healthcare Ltd (AX:REG) was down 2.64% or 0.100 points to 3.690.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 639 to 569 and 339 ended unchanged.
Shares in Santos Ltd (AX:STO) rose to 52-week highs; up 13.24% or 0.580 to 4.960. Shares in Fairfax Media Ltd (AX:FXJ) rose to 52-week lows; gaining 9.14% or 0.062 to 0.740.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 1.14% to 13.347 a new 1-month high.
Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.07% or 0.90 to $1276.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December rose 0.09% or 0.05 to hit $55.38 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 0.19% or 0.12 to trade at $61.99 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.07% to 0.7594, while AUD/JPY rose 0.22% to 85.85.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.11% at 93.82.