Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Healthcare, Industrials and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.42%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Credit Corp Group Ltd (AX:CCP), which rose 11.55% or 1.080 points to trade at 10.430 at the close. Meanwhile, Asciano Ltd (AX:AIO) added 8.09% or 0.670 points to end at 8.950 and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (AX:FMG) was up 4.69% or 0.100 points to 2.230 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Worleyparsons Ltd (AX:WOR), which fell 5.61% or 0.380 points to trade at 6.390 at the close. Blackmores Ltd (AX:BKL) declined 4.67% or 8.010 points to end at 163.330 and AWE Ltd (AX:AWE) was down 4.35% or 0.030 points to 0.660.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 531 to 439 and 128 ended unchanged.
Shares in Asciano Ltd (AX:AIO) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 8.09% or 0.670 to 8.950.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 2.76% to 18.902.
Gold for December delivery was up 0.39% or 4.30 to $1108.50 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December rose 0.75% or 0.34 to hit $45.54 a barrel, while the December Brent oil contract rose 0.35% or 0.17 to trade at $48.27 a barrel.
AUD/USD was unchanged 0.00% to 0.7143, while AUD/JPY rose 0.15% to 87.09.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.14% at 98.22.