Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Energy, Financials and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.43%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were AMP Ltd (AX:AMP), which rose 6.93% or 0.160 points to trade at 2.470 at the close. Meanwhile, NIB Holdings (AX:NHF) added 6.33% or 0.330 points to end at 5.540 and Lynas Corporation Ltd (AX:LYC) was up 6.12% or 0.120 points to 2.080 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Corporate Travel Managment Ltd (AX:CTD), which fell 27.46% or 7.590 points to trade at 20.050 at the close. TPG Telecom Ltd (AX:TPM) declined 5.53% or 0.420 points to end at 7.180 and Super Retail Group Ltd (AX:SUL) was down 3.35% or 0.250 points to 7.220.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 658 to 502 and 335 ended unchanged.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 6.62% to 17.050.
Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.49% or 6.00 to $1219.30 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December rose 0.51% or 0.34 to hit $66.52 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 0.65% or 0.49 to trade at $76.44 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.21% to 0.7091, while AUD/JPY fell 0.06% to 80.33.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.49% at 96.82.