Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Healthcare, IT and A-REITs sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.31%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Appen Ltd (ASX:APX), which rose 25.00% or 0.19 points to trade at 0.95 at the close. Meanwhile, Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX:PME) added 7.65% or 10.07 points to end at 141.66 and Seven Group Holdings Ltd (ASX:SVW) was up 6.78% or 2.49 points to 39.20 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG), which fell 4.74% or 0.86 points to trade at 17.30 at the close. Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX:MIN) declined 4.59% or 2.23 points to end at 46.35 and Champion Iron Ltd (ASX:CIA) was down 4.18% or 0.25 points to 5.73.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 613 to 457 and 431 ended unchanged.
Shares in Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) fell to 52-week lows; losing 4.74% or 0.86 to 17.30. Shares in Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX:MIN) fell to 52-week lows; down 4.59% or 2.23 to 46.35.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 5.40% to 12.69.
Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.08% or 2.00 to $2,505.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 0.69% or 0.54 to hit $78.89 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 0.62% or 0.50 to trade at $81.19 a barrel.
AUD/USD was unchanged 0.04% to 0.66, while AUD/JPY rose 0.12% to 97.54.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.14% at 102.53.