Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Energy, Materials and Metals & Mining sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.34%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Appen Ltd (ASX:APX), which rose 22.10% or 0.20 points to trade at 1.11 at the close. Meanwhile, Zip Co Ltd (ASX:ZIP) added 13.47% or 0.26 points to end at 2.19 and James Hardie Industries PLC (ASX:JHX) was up 6.09% or 2.98 points to 51.94 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Domain Holdings Australia Ltd (ASX:DHG), which fell 3.07% or 0.10 points to trade at 3.00 at the close. Amcor PLC (ASX:AMC) declined 3.04% or 0.49 points to end at 15.65 and Cochlear Ltd (ASX:COH) was down 1.99% or 6.23 points to 306.77.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 718 to 399 and 425 ended unchanged.
Shares in Zip Co Ltd (ASX:ZIP) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 13.47% or 0.26 to 2.19.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 1.08% to 12.14.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.10% or 2.40 to $2,494.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September fell 0.44% or 0.34 to hit $77.82 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract fell 0.30% or 0.24 to trade at $80.80 a barrel.
AUD/USD was unchanged 0.33% to 0.66, while AUD/JPY rose 0.11% to 98.80.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.07% at 102.74.