Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the Energy, Consumer Staples and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.20%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were IPH Ltd (ASX:IPH), which rose 10.40% or 0.890 points to trade at 9.450 at the close. Meanwhile, Beach Energy Ltd (ASX:BPT) added 9.00% or 0.180 points to end at 2.180 and Estia Health Ltd (ASX:EHE) was up 8.37% or 0.220 points to 2.850 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (ASX:SAR), which fell 3.50% or 0.130 points to trade at 3.580 at the close. Eclipx Group Ltd (ASX:ECX) declined 2.91% or 0.045 points to end at 1.500 and Regis Resources Ltd (ASX:RRL) was down 2.61% or 0.140 points to 5.230.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 681 to 476 and 364 ended unchanged.
Shares in IPH Ltd (ASX:IPH) rose to all time highs; up 10.40% or 0.890 to 9.450.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 10.02% to 15.636.
Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.32% or 4.85 to $1506.75 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in October rose 0.29% or 0.16 to hit $56.30 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 0.28% or 0.17 to trade at $59.91 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.33% to 0.6784, while AUD/JPY rose 0.21% to 72.25.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.03% at 98.248.