Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Consumer Staples, Telecoms Services and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.39%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (AX:FMG), which rose 4.31% or 0.090 points to trade at 2.180 at the close. Meanwhile, Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd (AX:SIP) added 4.27% or 0.035 points to end at 0.855 and Myer Holdings Ltd (AX:MYR) was up 3.88% or 0.040 points to 1.070 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Slater & Gordon Ltd (AX:SGH), which fell 19.78% or 0.530 points to trade at 2.150 at the close. Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (AX:LNG) declined 11.15% or 0.145 points to end at 1.155 and Paladin Energy Ltd (AX:PDN) was down 8.33% or 0.020 points to 0.220.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 547 to 473 and 120 ended unchanged.
Shares in Slater & Gordon Ltd (AX:SGH) fell to 52-week lows; down 19.78% or 0.530 to 2.150. Shares in Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (AX:LNG) fell to 52-week lows; down 11.15% or 0.145 to 1.155.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 1.95% to 17.578.
Gold for December delivery was down 0.56% or 6.00 to $1070.30 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 2.76% or 1.16 to hit $40.74 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract fell 1.28% or 0.57 to trade at $43.85 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.87% to 0.7176, while AUD/JPY fell 0.56% to 88.41.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.25% at 99.91.