Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Financials, Energy and Consumer Staples sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.28%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX:WHC), which rose 8.08% or 0.120 points to trade at 1.605 at the close. Meanwhile, Janus Henderson Group PLC DRC (ASX:JHG) added 7.17% or 2.81 points to end at 41.99 and Polynovo Ltd (ASX:PNV) was up 5.95% or 0.200 points to 3.560 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Regis Resources Ltd (ASX:RRL), which fell 4.31% or 0.170 points to trade at 3.770 at the close. Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX:QAN) declined 4.01% or 0.22 points to end at 5.27 and Idp Education Ltd (ASX:IEL) was down 3.93% or 0.92 points to 22.48.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 681 to 589 and 357 ended unchanged.
Shares in Janus Henderson Group PLC DRC (ASX:JHG) rose to 52-week highs; up 7.17% or 2.81 to 41.99. Shares in Polynovo Ltd (ASX:PNV) rose to all time highs; rising 5.95% or 0.200 to 3.560.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 6.83% to 14.116.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.22% or 4.05 to $1845.15 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 1.69% or 0.77 to hit $46.41 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 1.95% or 0.95 to trade at $49.66 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.08% to 0.7432, while AUD/JPY fell 0.03% to 77.19.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.09% at 90.632.