Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Energy, Consumer Discretionary and A-REITs sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.16%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX:RSG), which rose 9.57% or 0.110 points to trade at 1.260 at the close. Meanwhile, Perenti Global Ltd (ASX:PRN) added 5.38% or 0.100 points to end at 1.960 and Adelaide Brighton Ltd (ASX:ABC) was up 5.26% or 0.175 points to 3.505 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX:WHC), which fell 10.33% or 0.310 points to trade at 2.690 at the close. Speedcast International Ltd (ASX:SDA) declined 7.64% or 0.060 points to end at 0.725 and Collins Foods Ltd (ASX:CKF) was down 2.82% or 0.280 points to 9.660.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 685 to 411 and 320 ended unchanged.
Shares in Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX:WHC) fell to 52-week lows; down 10.33% or 0.310 to 2.690. Shares in Speedcast International Ltd (ASX:SDA) fell to all time lows; losing 7.64% or 0.060 to 0.725.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 9.11% to 12.938.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.14% or 2.05 to $1482.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 0.46% or 0.27 to hit $58.16 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract fell 0.35% or 0.22 to trade at $62.78 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.14% to 0.6839, while AUD/JPY fell 0.15% to 74.44.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.06% at 97.545.