Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Consumer Staples, Metals & Mining and Resources sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.59%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were NRW Holdings Ltd (AX:NWH), which rose 10.65% or 0.280 points to trade at 2.910 at the close. Meanwhile, Syrah Resources Ltd (AX:SYR) added 8.23% or 0.095 points to end at 1.250 and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (AX:FMG) was up 6.67% or 0.560 points to 8.960 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were St Barbara Ltd (AX:SBM), which fell 9.49% or 0.305 points to trade at 2.910 at the close. ANZ Banking Group (AX:ANZ) declined 3.26% or 0.870 points to end at 25.790 and Mcmillan Shakespeare Ltd (AX:MMS) was down 2.84% or 0.360 points to 12.310.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 684 to 465 and 402 ended unchanged.
Shares in St Barbara Ltd (AX:SBM) fell to 52-week lows; falling 9.49% or 0.305 to 2.910. Shares in Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (AX:FMG) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 6.67% or 0.560 to 8.960.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 4.17% to 14.021.
Gold Futures for June delivery was up 0.13% or 1.65 to $1287.85 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June unchanged 0.00% or 0.00 to hit $62.87 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract fell 0.21% or 0.15 to trade at $72.47 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.09% to 0.6885, while AUD/JPY fell 0.32% to 75.45.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.06% at 97.618.