Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Healthcare, Consumer Staples and Telecoms Services sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.80% to hit a new all time high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Vocus Group Ltd (ASX:VOC), which rose 8.11% or 0.240 points to trade at 3.200 at the close. Meanwhile, Orocobre Ltd (ASX:ORE) added 6.58% or 0.210 points to end at 3.400 and Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX:QUB) was up 5.60% or 0.190 points to 3.580 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX:RSG), which fell 9.05% or 0.110 points to trade at 1.105 at the close. Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX:EVN) declined 6.04% or 0.230 points to end at 3.580 and Perenti Global Ltd (ASX:PRN) was down 4.18% or 0.070 points to 1.605.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 648 to 476 and 349 ended unchanged.
Shares in Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX:QUB) rose to all time highs; up 5.60% or 0.190 to 3.580.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 8.55% to 11.184.
Gold Futures for February delivery was down 0.37% or 5.75 to $1548.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February fell 0.18% or 0.11 to hit $59.45 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract fell 0.14% or 0.09 to trade at $65.28 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.31% to 0.6878, while AUD/JPY rose 0.37% to 75.38.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.04% at 97.125.