Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Gold, Metals & Mining and Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.35%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX:PLS), which rose 11.90% or 0.025 points to trade at 0.235 at the close. Meanwhile, Avita Medical (ASX:AVH) added 8.70% or 0.040 points to end at 0.500 and Mayne Pharma Group Ltd (ASX:MYX) was up 5.88% or 0.025 points to 0.450 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Alumina Ltd (ASX:AWC), which fell 6.95% or 0.105 points to trade at 1.405 at the close. Orocobre Ltd (ASX:ORE) declined 5.94% or 0.12 points to end at 1.90 and Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX:HVN) was down 5.37% or 0.160 points to 2.820.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 703 to 484 and 341 ended unchanged.
Shares in Orocobre Ltd (ASX:ORE) fell to 3-years lows; down 5.94% or 0.12 to 1.90.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 0.17% to 26.254.
Gold Futures for June delivery was up 0.02% or 0.40 to $1707.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June fell 0.27% or 0.07 to hit $25.71 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract fell 1.27% or 0.38 to trade at $29.60 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.12% to 0.6477, while AUD/JPY rose 0.12% to 69.39.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.02% at 99.975.