Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Utilities, A-REITs and Consumer Discretionary sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.39%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Wisetech Global Ltd (ASX:WTC), which rose 5.71% or 1.420 points to trade at 26.270 at the close. Meanwhile, Charter Hall Group (ASX:CHC) added 5.08% or 0.530 points to end at 10.960 and Estia Health Ltd (ASX:EHE) was up 4.25% or 0.110 points to 2.700 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Ausdrill Ltd (ASX:ASL), which fell 6.79% or 0.095 points to trade at 1.305 at the close. Emeco Holdings Ltd (ASX:EHL) declined 5.20% or 0.090 points to end at 1.640 and Speedcast International Ltd (ASX:SDA) was down 5.07% or 0.190 points to 3.560.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 611 to 563 and 388 ended unchanged.
Shares in Wisetech Global Ltd (ASX:WTC) rose to all time highs; rising 5.71% or 1.420 to 26.270. Shares in Charter Hall Group (ASX:CHC) rose to 5-year highs; up 5.08% or 0.530 to 10.960. Shares in Emeco Holdings Ltd (ASX:EHL) fell to 52-week lows; down 5.20% or 0.090 to 1.640.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 0.10% to 14.272.
Gold Futures for August delivery was up 0.21% or 2.85 to $1336.45 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July rose 0.33% or 0.17 to hit $51.85 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract rose 0.38% or 0.23 to trade at $60.86 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.04% to 0.6972, while AUD/JPY fell 0.23% to 75.41.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.01% at 97.240.