Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Healthcare, Industrials and Energy sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.44% to hit a new 6-months high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Mantra Group Ltd (AX:MTR), which rose 8.41% or 0.280 points to trade at 3.610 at the close. Meanwhile, Fairfax Media Ltd (AX:FXJ) added 4.82% or 0.048 points to end at 1.032 and GWA Group Ltd (AX:GWA) was up 3.90% or 0.080 points to 2.130 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were St Barbara Ltd (AX:SBM), which fell 9.52% or 0.315 points to trade at 2.995 at the close. Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (AX:SAR) declined 9.12% or 0.155 points to end at 1.545 and Northern Star Resources Ltd (AX:NST) was down 8.07% or 0.430 points to 4.900.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 550 to 516 and 328 ended unchanged.
Shares in Fairfax Media Ltd (AX:FXJ) rose to 52-week highs; rising 4.82% or 0.048 to 1.032.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 1.70% to 14.558.
Gold for August delivery was down 0.21% or 2.75 to $1316.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 0.42% or 0.19 to hit $45.94 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract rose 0.51% or 0.24 to trade at $47.41 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.19% to 0.7487, while AUD/JPY rose 0.36% to 80.19.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.08% at 97.08.