Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Consumer Discretionary, Energy and Consumer Staples sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.58% to hit a new 6-months high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Mesoblast Ltd (AX:MSB), which rose 4.07% or 0.045 points to trade at 1.150 at the close. Meanwhile, Oil Search Ltd (AX:OSH) added 3.87% or 0.270 points to end at 7.250 and Isentia Group Ltd (AX:ISD) was up 3.56% or 0.115 points to 3.345 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Mineral Resources Ltd (AX:MIN), which fell 6.04% or 0.600 points to trade at 9.330 at the close. Sandfire Resources NL (AX:SFR) declined 5.41% or 0.360 points to end at 6.300 and Sims Metal Management Ltd (AX:SGM) was down 3.93% or 0.360 points to 8.790.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 670 to 434 and 296 ended unchanged.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 1.94% to 15.424.
Gold for August delivery was up 0.15% or 2.05 to $1329.45 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 0.11% or 0.05 to hit $46.70 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract rose 0.40% or 0.19 to trade at $47.80 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.25% to 0.7598, while AUD/JPY rose 0.84% to 80.14.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.23% at 96.48.