Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the Financials, A-REITs and Healthcare sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 added 1.94% to hit a new 6-months high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were ANZ Banking Group (AX:ANZ), which rose 5.37% or 1.275 points to trade at 25.005 at the close. Meanwhile, Blackmores Ltd (AX:BKL) added 5.04% or 8.180 points to end at 170.410 and Orora Fpo (AX:ORA) was up 4.96% or 0.130 points to 2.750 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Beach Energy Ltd (AX:BPT), which fell 5.16% or 0.040 points to trade at 0.735 at the close. Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (AX:FMG) declined 3.82% or 0.130 points to end at 3.270 and Santos Ltd (AX:STO) was down 2.75% or 0.130 points to 4.590.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 593 to 434 and 316 ended unchanged.
Shares in Orora Fpo (AX:ORA) rose to all time highs; up 4.96% or 0.130 to 2.750.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 5.02% to 17.148.
Gold for June delivery was down 0.34% or 4.35 to $1291.45 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June rose 0.45% or 0.20 to hit $44.98 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract rose 0.57% or 0.26 to trade at $46.09 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 1.26% to 0.7571, while AUD/JPY fell 1.75% to 80.13.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.13% at 92.41.