Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Metals & Mining, Materials and Resources sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.19%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Zip Co Ltd (ASX:ZIP), which rose 10.16% or 0.16 points to trade at 1.68 at the close. Meanwhile, Nuix Ltd (ASX:NXL) added 9.48% or 0.31 points to end at 3.58 and Mesoblast Ltd (ASX:MSB) was up 8.25% or 0.08 points to 1.05 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX:PME), which fell 5.15% or 7.03 points to trade at 129.36 at the close. Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX:SGR) declined 3.13% or 0.02 points to end at 0.47 and Polynovo Ltd (ASX:PNV) was down 2.10% or 0.05 points to 2.33.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 643 to 472 and 431 ended unchanged.
Shares in Zip Co Ltd (ASX:ZIP) rose to 52-week highs; up 10.16% or 0.16 to 1.68. Shares in Nuix Ltd (ASX:NXL) rose to 3-years highs; rising 9.48% or 0.31 to 3.58.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 1.76% to 11.30.
Gold Futures for August delivery was down 0.33% or 7.75 to $2,361.65 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August fell 0.72% or 0.60 to hit $83.28 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract fell 0.64% or 0.56 to trade at $86.78 a barrel.
AUD/USD was unchanged 0.14% to 0.67, while AUD/JPY fell 0.07% to 108.33.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.07% at 105.00.