Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Utilities, Telecoms Services and Energy sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.42%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Galaxy Resources Ltd (AX:GXY), which rose 7.49% or 0.115 points to trade at 1.650 at the close. Meanwhile, Orica Ltd (AX:ORI) added 6.01% or 1.120 points to end at 19.770 and Orocobre Ltd (AX:ORE) was up 4.64% or 0.160 points to 3.610 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Adelaide Brighton Ltd (AX:ABC), which fell 10.26% or 0.430 points to trade at 3.760 at the close. Graincorp Ltd (AX:GNC) declined 4.27% or 0.340 points to end at 7.630 and Fletcher Building Ltd (AX:FBU) was down 3.43% or 0.170 points to 4.790.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 643 to 521 and 359 ended unchanged.
Shares in Adelaide Brighton Ltd (AX:ABC) fell to 3-years lows; losing 10.26% or 0.430 to 3.760. Shares in Orica Ltd (AX:ORI) rose to 52-week highs; up 6.01% or 1.120 to 19.770.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 1.62% to 13.819.
Gold Futures for June delivery was up 0.14% or 1.75 to $1283.15 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June fell 0.72% or 0.45 to hit $61.67 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract fell 0.80% or 0.56 to trade at $69.81 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.12% to 0.6979, while AUD/JPY fell 0.32% to 76.69.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.06% at 97.333.