Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Metals & Mining, Consumer Staples and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.17%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Costa Group Holdings Ltd (AX:CGC), which rose 6.50% or 0.340 points to trade at 5.570 at the close. Meanwhile, Magellan Financial Group Ltd (AX:MFG) added 6.03% or 1.400 points to end at 24.600 and Orocobre Ltd (AX:ORE) was up 4.71% or 0.200 points to 4.450 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Sirtex Medical Ltd (AX:SRX), which fell 3.38% or 0.470 points to trade at 13.430 at the close. Orica Ltd (AX:ORI) declined 3.09% or 0.630 points to end at 19.750 and Primary Health Care Ltd (AX:PRY) was down 2.22% or 0.070 points to 3.090.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 655 to 481 and 383 ended unchanged.
Shares in Costa Group Holdings Ltd (AX:CGC) rose to all time highs; up 6.50% or 0.340 to 5.570.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 5.76% to 11.201 a new 6-months low.
Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.11% or 1.38 to $1287.32 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November fell 0.17% or 0.09 to hit $51.47 a barrel, while the December Brent oil contract fell 0.07% or 0.04 to trade at $57.12 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.22% to 0.7839, while AUD/JPY rose 0.11% to 88.32.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.16% at 93.10.