Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the IT, Healthcare and Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.24%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Seven West Media Ltd (AX:SWM), which rose 13.59% or 0.070 points to trade at 0.585 at the close. Meanwhile, Fletcher Building Ltd (AX:FBU) added 8.29% or 0.460 points to end at 6.010 and Primary Health Care Ltd (AX:PRY) was up 7.67% or 0.280 points to 3.930 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Bellamys Australia Ltd (AX:BAL), which fell 4.76% or 1.010 points to trade at 20.200 at the close. A2 Milk Company Ltd (AX:A2M) declined 2.86% or 0.340 points to end at 11.560 and Flight Centre Ltd (AX:FLT) was down 2.49% or 1.420 points to 55.550.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 653 to 551 and 365 ended unchanged.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 6.93% to 12.740.
Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.13% or 1.70 to $1340.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.13% or 0.09 to hit $66.98 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 0.11% or 0.08 to trade at $71.94 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.30% to 0.7777, while AUD/JPY rose 0.50% to 83.65.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.04% at 89.53.