Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Industrials, Consumer Discretionary and Energy sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.30% to hit a new 6-months high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AX:WHC), which rose 14.24% or 0.210 points to trade at 1.685 at the close. Meanwhile, Myer Holdings Ltd (AX:MYR) added 5.43% or 0.063 points to end at 1.212 and Bluescope Steel Ltd (AX:BSL) was up 5.10% or 0.400 points to 8.250 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Beach Energy Ltd (AX:BPT), which fell 3.97% or 0.025 points to trade at 0.605 at the close. Newcrest Mining Ltd (AX:NCM) declined 3.36% or 0.850 points to end at 24.450 and Select Harvests Ltd (AX:SHV) was down 2.87% or 0.220 points to 7.450.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 586 to 469 and 334 ended unchanged.
Shares in Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AX:WHC) rose to 52-week highs; rising 14.24% or 0.210 to 1.685. Shares in Bluescope Steel Ltd (AX:BSL) rose to 5-year highs; up 5.10% or 0.400 to 8.250.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 6.31% to 14.914 a new 3-months low.
Gold for August delivery was up 0.11% or 1.45 to $1333.65 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August fell 1.01% or 0.46 to hit $45.22 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract fell 0.99% or 0.47 to trade at $46.90 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.08% to 0.7625, while AUD/JPY rose 0.21% to 80.58.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.01% at 96.11.