Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the IT, Healthcare and Consumer Staples sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.53%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Eclipx Group Ltd (AX:ECX), which rose 16.09% or 0.370 points to trade at 2.670 at the close. Meanwhile, Corporate Travel Managment Ltd (AX:CTD) added 14.75% or 2.950 points to end at 22.950 and Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (AX:APT) was up 11.07% or 1.440 points to 14.450 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were James Hardie Industries PLC (AX:JHX), which fell 14.65% or 2.900 points to trade at 16.900 at the close. Domino'S Pizza Enterprises Ltd (AX:DMP) declined 10.70% or 5.960 points to end at 49.720 and APA Group (AX:APA) was down 8.83% or 0.840 points to 8.670.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 646 to 470 and 370 ended unchanged.
Shares in James Hardie Industries PLC (AX:JHX) fell to 52-week lows; falling 14.65% or 2.900 to 16.900.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 5.84% to 13.886 a new 1-month low.
Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.27% or 3.30 to $1225.40 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December rose 0.10% or 0.06 to hit $61.73 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract fell 0.06% or 0.04 to trade at $72.03 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.15% to 0.7287, while AUD/JPY rose 0.27% to 82.81.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.01% at 96.00.