Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Resources, Energy and Telecoms Services sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.74%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (AX:LNG), which rose 6.96% or 0.040 points to trade at 0.615 at the close. Meanwhile, G8 Education Ltd (AX:GEM) added 4.44% or 0.175 points to end at 4.115 and Australian Agricultural Company Ltd (AX:AAC) was up 4.03% or 0.073 points to 1.873 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Ozforex Grp (AX:OFX), which fell 5.51% or 0.125 points to trade at 2.145 at the close. Select Harvests Ltd (AX:SHV) declined 3.64% or 0.270 points to end at 7.140 and Iluka Resources Ltd (AX:ILU) was down 3.62% or 0.230 points to 6.120.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 556 to 436 and 354 ended unchanged.
Shares in G8 Education Ltd (AX:GEM) rose to 52-week highs; rising 4.44% or 0.175 to 4.115. Shares in Australian Agricultural Company Ltd (AX:AAC) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 4.03% or 0.073 to 1.873.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 4.95% to 17.175.
Gold for August delivery was up 0.08% or 0.95 to $1213.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July rose 0.12% or 0.06 to hit $49.23 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract rose 0.08% or 0.04 to trade at $50.08 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.25% to 0.7247, while AUD/JPY rose 0.05% to 78.75.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.03% at 95.53.