Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Energy, Resources and Metals & Mining sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.27%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Mesoblast Ltd (AX:MSB), which rose 10.03% or 0.145 points to trade at 1.590 at the close. Meanwhile, Seven West Media Ltd (AX:SWM) added 5.37% or 0.040 points to end at 0.785 and OZ Minerals Ltd (AX:OZL) was up 5.57% or 0.370 points to 7.010 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Suncorp Group Ltd (AX:SUN), which fell 4.09% or 0.560 points to trade at 13.140 at the close. BWP Trust (AX:BWP) declined 3.67% or 0.135 points to end at 3.545 and Scentre (AX:SCG) was down 2.63% or 0.135 points to 4.995.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 670 to 423 and 322 ended unchanged.
Shares in OZ Minerals Ltd (AX:OZL) rose to 3-years highs; gaining 5.57% or 0.370 to 7.010.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 2.70% to 12.602 a new 52-week low.
Gold for December delivery was down 0.34% or 4.55 to $1345.45 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 1.06% or 0.46 to hit $43.95 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 0.78% or 0.36 to trade at $46.40 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.10% to 0.7691, while AUD/JPY unchanged 0.00% to 78.50.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.05% at 95.85.