Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the IT, Financials and Gold sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.06%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Computershare Ltd. (AX:CPU), which rose 5.00% or 0.530 points to trade at 11.120 at the close. Meanwhile, Pact Group Holdings Ltd (AX:PGH) added 4.25% or 0.210 points to end at 5.150 and Aurizon Holdings Ltd (AX:AZJ) was up 3.99% or 0.210 points to 5.470 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Sims Metal Management Ltd (AX:SGM), which fell 19.00% or 1.820 points to trade at 7.760 at the close. Santos Ltd (AX:STO) declined 16.46% or 0.847 points to end at 4.300 and AWE Ltd (AX:AWE) was down 5.19% or 0.035 points to 0.640.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 519 to 455 and 154 ended unchanged.
Shares in Sims Metal Management Ltd (AX:SGM) fell to 5-year lows; losing 19.00% or 1.820 to 7.760.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 0.03% to 19.389.
Gold for December delivery was up 0.20% or 2.20 to $1087.10 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December rose 0.52% or 0.23 to hit $43.16 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 0.38% or 0.17 to trade at $46.83 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 1.15% to 0.7144, while AUD/JPY rose 1.24% to 87.83.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.06% at 99.00.