Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Healthcare, IT and Consumer Staples sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.40% to hit a new 5-year high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Aveo Group (AX:AOG), which rose 7.92% or 0.175 points to trade at 2.385 at the close. Meanwhile, Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (AX:APT) added 7.28% or 1.100 points to end at 16.200 and Domino'S Pizza Enterprises Ltd (AX:DMP) was up 6.00% or 2.940 points to 51.940 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Pact Group Holdings Ltd (AX:PGH), which fell 19.10% or 1.020 points to trade at 4.320 at the close. Insurance Australia Group Ltd (AX:IAG) declined 6.07% or 0.500 points to end at 7.740 and Sandfire Resources NL (AX:SFR) was down 4.66% or 0.360 points to 7.360.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 633 to 571 and 379 ended unchanged.
Shares in Pact Group Holdings Ltd (AX:PGH) fell to 52-week lows; losing 19.10% or 1.020 to 4.320. Shares in Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (AX:APT) rose to all time highs; up 7.28% or 1.100 to 16.200.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 1.60% to 10.974.
Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.52% or 6.30 to $1194.40 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September fell 0.43% or 0.29 to hit $66.75 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract fell 0.21% or 0.15 to trade at $72.31 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.35% to 0.7214, while AUD/JPY fell 0.24% to 80.28.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.15% at 96.69.