Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Metals & Mining, Resources and Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.51% to hit a new 52-week high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Ampol Ltd (ASX:ALD), which rose 5.41% or 1.32 points to trade at 25.73 at the close. Meanwhile, IGO Ltd (ASX:IGO) added 5.29% or 0.360 points to end at 7.170 and Champion Iron Ltd (ASX:CIA) was up 5.20% or 0.310 points to 6.270 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX:WHC), which fell 15.45% or 0.285 points to trade at 1.560 at the close. Regis Resources Ltd (ASX:RRL) declined 11.95% or 0.365 points to end at 2.690 and Zip Co Ltd (ASX:Z1P) was down 6.87% or 0.66 points to 8.95.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 674 to 645 and 400 ended unchanged.
Shares in Regis Resources Ltd (ASX:RRL) fell to 3-years lows; losing 11.95% or 0.365 to 2.690. Shares in Champion Iron Ltd (ASX:CIA) rose to all time highs; up 5.20% or 0.310 to 6.270.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 1.19% to 11.356.
Gold Futures for June delivery was up 0.60% or 10.35 to $1746.65 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.27% or 0.17 to hit $62.98 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 0.27% or 0.18 to trade at $66.40 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.41% to 0.7752, while AUD/JPY rose 0.33% to 84.36.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.09% at 91.595.