Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the Telecoms Services, Utilities and Consumer Staples sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.54%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Beach Energy Ltd (AX:BPT), which rose 5.68% or 0.100 points to trade at 1.860 at the close. Meanwhile, Seven West Media Ltd (AX:SWM) added 4.71% or 0.040 points to end at 0.890 and G8 Education Ltd (AX:GEM) was up 4.33% or 0.100 points to 2.410 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Australian Pharma Industries Ltd (AX:API), which fell 5.68% or 0.090 points to trade at 1.495 at the close. Independence Group NL (AX:IGO) declined 4.41% or 0.230 points to end at 4.980 and Iluka Resources Ltd (AX:ILU) was down 4.21% or 0.470 points to 10.700.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 704 to 503 and 346 ended unchanged.
Shares in Beach Energy Ltd (AX:BPT) rose to 5-year highs; up 5.68% or 0.100 to 1.860. Shares in Seven West Media Ltd (AX:SWM) rose to 52-week highs; up 4.71% or 0.040 to 0.890.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 1.76% to 13.614.
Gold Futures for August delivery was down 0.10% or 1.20 to $1240.50 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August rose 1.10% or 0.81 to hit $74.75 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract rose 0.79% or 0.61 to trade at $77.91 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.26% to 0.7358, while AUD/JPY rose 0.33% to 81.66.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.02% at 94.62.