Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Energy, Metals & Mining and Resources sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.43% to hit a new 6-months high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Mesoblast Ltd (ASX:MSB), which rose 11.62% or 0.12 points to trade at 1.11 at the close. Meanwhile, Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX:WHC) added 8.42% or 0.78 points to end at 10.04 and Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:CUV) was up 7.69% or 1.40 points to 19.60 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX:RSG), which fell 8.57% or 0.02 points to trade at 0.16 at the close. St Barbara Ltd (ASX:SBM) declined 6.20% or 0.04 points to end at 0.61 and EML Payments Ltd (ASX:EML) was down 5.15% or 0.04 points to 0.65.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 707 to 571 and 388 ended unchanged.
Shares in Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX:RSG) fell to all time lows; losing 8.57% or 0.02 to 0.16.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 2.35% to 12.82.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 1.12% or 19.65 to $1,768.05 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 0.74% or 0.58 to hit $78.78 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 0.83% or 0.70 to trade at $84.95 a barrel.
AUD/USD was unchanged 0.43% to 0.67, while AUD/JPY rose 0.30% to 93.00.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.19% at 106.57.