Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the IT, Metals & Mining and Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 3.34%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Aconex Ltd (AX:ACX), which rose 13.93% or 0.730 points to trade at 5.970 at the close. Meanwhile, Sims Metal Management Ltd (AX:SGM) added 13.39% or 1.460 points to end at 12.360 and Bluescope Steel Ltd (AX:BSL) was up 12.97% or 0.960 points to 8.360 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Regis Resources Ltd (AX:RRL), which fell 9.92% or 0.360 points to trade at 3.270 at the close. St Barbara Ltd (AX:SBM) declined 9.15% or 0.270 points to end at 2.680 and Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (AX:SAR) was down 8.75% or 0.123 points to 1.278.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 858 to 299 and 229 ended unchanged.
Shares in Sims Metal Management Ltd (AX:SGM) rose to 52-week highs; rising 13.39% or 1.460 to 12.360.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 25.45% to 15.677.
Gold for December delivery was up 0.76% or 9.65 to $1283.15 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December fell 0.07% or 0.03 to hit $45.24 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 0.19% or 0.09 to trade at $46.45 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.45% to 0.7670, while AUD/JPY rose 0.45% to 81.05.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.12% at 98.54.